Narrative:

The problem in this situation was the overweight dispatch of air carrier flight xyz out of ZZZ, us. This flight had the left center tank jet pump deferred. As I prepared to make the flight plan for this aircraft I noted the MEL item and pulled up the appropriate MEL item and reviewed it. I apparently missed the sentence on the first page of the MEL which stated that the fuel in the center tank was to be considered structural check fuel. As I failed to note this I therefore did not notify ZZZ load planning that the center tank fuel would then have to be considered payload for the weight manifest. So the plane ended up leaving ZZZ with problem of being over the allowable zero fuel weight. Although I am ultimately responsible to have correctly read the MEL I would like to suggest that important information for the planning of a flight be put nearer the beginning of the MEL placard. As it reads now it can be overlooked. Air carrier flight xyz took off from ZZZ and landed in lhr without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the MEL can cause a lot of confusion with the different procedure and requirements when deferring a boost pump. The reporter said that the sentence about the structural check fuel was just missed.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE ALLOWABLE ZERO FUEL WEIGHT EXCEEDED CAUSED BY A DEFERRED ITEM MINIMUM EQUIP LIST PROC NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM IN THIS SIT WAS THE OVERWEIGHT DISPATCH OF ACR FLT XYZ OUT OF ZZZ, US. THIS FLT HAD THE L CTR TANK JET PUMP DEFERRED. AS I PREPARED TO MAKE THE FLT PLAN FOR THIS ACFT I NOTED THE MEL ITEM AND PULLED UP THE APPROPRIATE MEL ITEM AND REVIEWED IT. I APPARENTLY MISSED THE SENTENCE ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE MEL WHICH STATED THAT THE FUEL IN THE CTR TANK WAS TO BE CONSIDERED STRUCTURAL CHK FUEL. AS I FAILED TO NOTE THIS I THEREFORE DID NOT NOTIFY ZZZ LOAD PLANNING THAT THE CTR TANK FUEL WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED PAYLOAD FOR THE WEIGHT MANIFEST. SO THE PLANE ENDED UP LEAVING ZZZ WITH PROBLEM OF BEING OVER THE ALLOWABLE ZERO FUEL WEIGHT. ALTHOUGH I AM ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE TO HAVE CORRECTLY READ THE MEL I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT IMPORTANT INFO FOR THE PLANNING OF A FLT BE PUT NEARER THE BEGINNING OF THE MEL PLACARD. AS IT READS NOW IT CAN BE OVERLOOKED. ACR FLT XYZ TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ AND LANDED IN LHR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE MEL CAN CAUSE A LOT OF CONFUSION WITH THE DIFFERENT PROC AND REQUIREMENTS WHEN DEFERRING A BOOST PUMP. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE SENTENCE ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL CHK FUEL WAS JUST MISSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.