B737 crew has fuelers that do not comply with restrs in the MEL for center tank fueling.

Attributes
ACN	484590
Time
Date	200008
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8900 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	484590
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Type B737-300. Showing to airplane late due to transportation problem for flight out of oak airport on aug/xa/00. The airplane had already been fueled for the flight to ord. Dispatch had shown minimum fuel unknowingly to us, above maximum allowed for center tank. Due to service bulletin and MEL restr, the over-fuel passed through our maintenance MEL, dispatch and fueler and us until we noticed it airborne, at which time we realized there was no mention of maximum fuel allowed per MEL of center tank gauge in our flight manual or MEL or dispatch department until we looked at the small print at the bottom of fuel sheet.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW HAS FUELERS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH RESTRS IN THE MEL FOR CTR TANK FUELING.

Narrative: TYPE B737-300. SHOWING TO AIRPLANE LATE DUE TO TRANSPORTATION PROB FOR FLT OUT OF OAK ARPT ON AUG/XA/00. THE AIRPLANE HAD ALREADY BEEN FUELED FOR THE FLT TO ORD. DISPATCH HAD SHOWN MINIMUM FUEL UNKNOWINGLY TO US, ABOVE MAX ALLOWED FOR CTR TANK. DUE TO SVC BULLETIN AND MEL RESTR, THE OVER-FUEL PASSED THROUGH OUR MAINT MEL, DISPATCH AND FUELER AND US UNTIL WE NOTICED IT AIRBORNE, AT WHICH TIME WE REALIZED THERE WAS NO MENTION OF MAX FUEL ALLOWED PER MEL OF CTR TANK GAUGE IN OUR FLT MANUAL OR MEL OR DISPATCH DEPT UNTIL WE LOOKED AT THE SMALL PRINT AT THE BOTTOM OF FUEL SHEET.

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.