Narrative:

Flight was planned to nrt with an inoperative #2 aft fuel boost pump in logbook upon arrival to preflight aircraft. The crew received an MEL sticker and new dispatch release for the inoperative fuel pump. The crew and dispatch agreed that the primary operational restr was to land with at least 8610 pounds of fuel in each of the main fuel tanks. The flight was re-released to nrt around 170 mi east as normal and continued to nrt. Passing chitose (sapparo, japan) airport, nrt dispatch advised the cockpit crew to divert to sapparo because the 34400 pounds of fuel was to be considered unusable. At this point, communications were difficult and once the problem was sorted out, we were just as close to nrt estimating 36000-37000 pounds of fuel overhead so we continued on and made an uneventful landing at nrt with approximately 35000 pounds of fuel. Cause of problem: crew hurrying to make on-time departure and poorly written MEL concerning inoperative fuel boost pumps (unusable fuel not discussed in MEL flight crew operating procedure section). Prevention methods: crews must slow down and carefully read all sections of MEL and in this case, MEL section on main fuel boost pumps should be rewritten. Supplemental information from acn 476211: I issued a dispatch release for air carrier flight abcd jun/xa/00 for IFR flight kzzz to rjaa (kzzz to tokyo). Close to departure time, maintenance called to advise that they were deferring the main tank boost pumps under the provisions of MEL. I checked the restrs and added it to the flight release as an amendment. The captain called for a briefing and we discussed the flight including the MEL which I had just added. This MEL mandated maintaining at least certain minimum amounts of fuel in each main tank for landing, minimum total fuel for dispatch, and minimum fuel for dispatch in the affected tank with the inoperative main tank pump. The MEL says 'continued on next page.' on the next page there is an additional limitation which stipulated that 34000 pounds of fuel be considered unusable. I did not read the second page nor apply the penalty. I was in the middle of working out a problem with a captain who was on a cell phone calling from india. He could not leave until it was resolved and it was almost departure time. I had extra flts because of technical stops and was resolving rertes with a united states of american bound flight. I allowed myself to be rushed and not thoroughly read the entire MEL and apply it. Error was discovered by receiving dispatcher in our foreign office as he was preparing to issue the re-release message. (I had released flight to chitose, japan, subject to re-release on to tokyo.) there is joint control with a handoff over mid pacific. I missed this important MEL limitation. Fortunately, flight landed without incident at nrt (tokyo).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 FLC DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR 34000 LBS OF UNUSABLE FUEL.

Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED TO NRT WITH AN INOP #2 AFT FUEL BOOST PUMP IN LOGBOOK UPON ARR TO PREFLT ACFT. THE CREW RECEIVED AN MEL STICKER AND NEW DISPATCH RELEASE FOR THE INOP FUEL PUMP. THE CREW AND DISPATCH AGREED THAT THE PRIMARY OPERATIONAL RESTR WAS TO LAND WITH AT LEAST 8610 LBS OF FUEL IN EACH OF THE MAIN FUEL TANKS. THE FLT WAS RE-RELEASED TO NRT AROUND 170 MI E AS NORMAL AND CONTINUED TO NRT. PASSING CHITOSE (SAPPARO, JAPAN) ARPT, NRT DISPATCH ADVISED THE COCKPIT CREW TO DIVERT TO SAPPARO BECAUSE THE 34400 LBS OF FUEL WAS TO BE CONSIDERED UNUSABLE. AT THIS POINT, COMS WERE DIFFICULT AND ONCE THE PROB WAS SORTED OUT, WE WERE JUST AS CLOSE TO NRT ESTIMATING 36000-37000 LBS OF FUEL OVERHEAD SO WE CONTINUED ON AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT NRT WITH APPROX 35000 LBS OF FUEL. CAUSE OF PROB: CREW HURRYING TO MAKE ON-TIME DEP AND POORLY WRITTEN MEL CONCERNING INOP FUEL BOOST PUMPS (UNUSABLE FUEL NOT DISCUSSED IN MEL FLC OPERATING PROC SECTION). PREVENTION METHODS: CREWS MUST SLOW DOWN AND CAREFULLY READ ALL SECTIONS OF MEL AND IN THIS CASE, MEL SECTION ON MAIN FUEL BOOST PUMPS SHOULD BE REWRITTEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476211: I ISSUED A DISPATCH RELEASE FOR ACR FLT ABCD JUN/XA/00 FOR IFR FLT KZZZ TO RJAA (KZZZ TO TOKYO). CLOSE TO DEP TIME, MAINT CALLED TO ADVISE THAT THEY WERE DEFERRING THE MAIN TANK BOOST PUMPS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF MEL. I CHKED THE RESTRS AND ADDED IT TO THE FLT RELEASE AS AN AMENDMENT. THE CAPT CALLED FOR A BRIEFING AND WE DISCUSSED THE FLT INCLUDING THE MEL WHICH I HAD JUST ADDED. THIS MEL MANDATED MAINTAINING AT LEAST CERTAIN MINIMUM AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN EACH MAIN TANK FOR LNDG, MINIMUM TOTAL FUEL FOR DISPATCH, AND MINIMUM FUEL FOR DISPATCH IN THE AFFECTED TANK WITH THE INOP MAIN TANK PUMP. THE MEL SAYS 'CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE.' ON THE NEXT PAGE THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL LIMITATION WHICH STIPULATED THAT 34000 LBS OF FUEL BE CONSIDERED UNUSABLE. I DID NOT READ THE SECOND PAGE NOR APPLY THE PENALTY. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING OUT A PROB WITH A CAPT WHO WAS ON A CELL PHONE CALLING FROM INDIA. HE COULD NOT LEAVE UNTIL IT WAS RESOLVED AND IT WAS ALMOST DEP TIME. I HAD EXTRA FLTS BECAUSE OF TECHNICAL STOPS AND WAS RESOLVING RERTES WITH A UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN BOUND FLT. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE RUSHED AND NOT THOROUGHLY READ THE ENTIRE MEL AND APPLY IT. ERROR WAS DISCOVERED BY RECEIVING DISPATCHER IN OUR FOREIGN OFFICE AS HE WAS PREPARING TO ISSUE THE RE-RELEASE MESSAGE. (I HAD RELEASED FLT TO CHITOSE, JAPAN, SUBJECT TO RE-RELEASE ON TO TOKYO.) THERE IS JOINT CTL WITH A HDOF OVER MID PACIFIC. I MISSED THIS IMPORTANT MEL LIMITATION. FORTUNATELY, FLT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT NRT (TOKYO).

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.