Narrative:

At approximately 15 mins after scheduled departure time, the captain called to advise that the fueler had loaded 1000 pounds more fuel (17700 pounds instead of 16600 pounds) than was called for on the flight release. Weight was not a problem since the passenger bookings were quite low. The fueler, however, had loaded the extra 1000 pounds into the center fuel tank. The limitations section of the pilot's handbook requires that fuel first be loaded into the wing tanks, then, after the wings are full, fuel may be distributed into the center tank. The pilot's handbook allows a maximum of 1000 pounds of center tank fuel without the wings being full provided that balance is taken into account. The captain and I agreed per the pilot's handbook that the flight fuel was in weight limitations but I reiterated that the load planning office would have to make the balance check and send him numbers with the center tank fuel accounted for. I amended his release for the new total fuel and again advised him to wait until load planning could send him new numbers. While I was on the phone with the load planning supervisor the flight departed with numbers for only the original fuel load. Neither takeoff nor landing weight limitations were involved. There are several problems involved. The first is the corporate stress regarding on-time departures. The captain was worried about any further delay and concentrated on the fact that weight was not a problem, ignoring the potential for balance. While the captain is the final authority/authorized on the operation of the aircraft, in reality capts rarely do weight and balance. They should leave it to those who do it on a daily basis, ie, the central load planning office. Second, central load planning does not have a clearly delineated procedure for dealing with this type of situation. I have sent this problem to the safety committee for the development and internal publication of such a procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS KNOWINGLY DISPATCHED WITH THE INCORRECT WT AND BAL ON THE ACFT RELEASE DOCUMENT.

Narrative: AT APPROX 15 MINS AFTER SCHEDULED DEP TIME, THE CAPT CALLED TO ADVISE THAT THE FUELER HAD LOADED 1000 LBS MORE FUEL (17700 LBS INSTEAD OF 16600 LBS) THAN WAS CALLED FOR ON THE FLT RELEASE. WT WAS NOT A PROB SINCE THE PAX BOOKINGS WERE QUITE LOW. THE FUELER, HOWEVER, HAD LOADED THE EXTRA 1000 LBS INTO THE CTR FUEL TANK. THE LIMITATIONS SECTION OF THE PLT'S HANDBOOK REQUIRES THAT FUEL FIRST BE LOADED INTO THE WING TANKS, THEN, AFTER THE WINGS ARE FULL, FUEL MAY BE DISTRIBUTED INTO THE CTR TANK. THE PLT'S HANDBOOK ALLOWS A MAX OF 1000 LBS OF CTR TANK FUEL WITHOUT THE WINGS BEING FULL PROVIDED THAT BAL IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THE CAPT AND I AGREED PER THE PLT'S HANDBOOK THAT THE FLT FUEL WAS IN WT LIMITATIONS BUT I REITERATED THAT THE LOAD PLANNING OFFICE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE BAL CHK AND SEND HIM NUMBERS WITH THE CTR TANK FUEL ACCOUNTED FOR. I AMENDED HIS RELEASE FOR THE NEW TOTAL FUEL AND AGAIN ADVISED HIM TO WAIT UNTIL LOAD PLANNING COULD SEND HIM NEW NUMBERS. WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THE LOAD PLANNING SUPVR THE FLT DEPARTED WITH NUMBERS FOR ONLY THE ORIGINAL FUEL LOAD. NEITHER TKOF NOR LNDG WT LIMITATIONS WERE INVOLVED. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBS INVOLVED. THE FIRST IS THE CORPORATE STRESS REGARDING ON-TIME DEPS. THE CAPT WAS WORRIED ABOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY AND CONCENTRATED ON THE FACT THAT WT WAS NOT A PROB, IGNORING THE POTENTIAL FOR BAL. WHILE THE CAPT IS THE FINAL AUTH ON THE OP OF THE ACFT, IN REALITY CAPTS RARELY DO WT AND BAL. THEY SHOULD LEAVE IT TO THOSE WHO DO IT ON A DAILY BASIS, IE, THE CENTRAL LOAD PLANNING OFFICE. SECOND, CENTRAL LOAD PLANNING DOES NOT HAVE A CLRLY DELINEATED PROC FOR DEALING WITH THIS TYPE OF SIT. I HAVE SENT THIS PROB TO THE SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNAL PUB OF SUCH A PROC.

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.