DC9 crew inadvertently consumed weight and balance fuel on a ferry flight.

Attributes
ACN	488420
Time
Date	200010
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp.airport
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	488420
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

DC9-30 position flight after maintenance, sdf-msp, aircraft planned no cargo, no passenger, 2 crew in the cockpit only. 800 pounds ballast fuel required in the center (#2 tank) for weight and balance. While en route, crew discovered the #2 fuel boost pumps remained on and 720 pounds of ballast fuel had burned off (80 pounds remained). Dispatch was notified when aircraft 70 DME southeast of msp. Crew requested a recalculation of weight and balance to confirm aircraft was within center of gravity limits for landing. A manual weight and balance was performed using FAA approved (chase around chart) index chart. Weight and balance calculation was performed by the load agent. Both myself (dispatcher) and the weight and balance agent agreed that the aircraft was within center of gravity limits. Crew indicated the aircraft handled normal on landing and flight concluded without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW INADVERTENTLY CONSUMED WT AND BAL FUEL ON A FERRY FLT.

Narrative: DC9-30 POS FLT AFTER MAINT, SDF-MSP, ACFT PLANNED NO CARGO, NO PAX, 2 CREW IN THE COCKPIT ONLY. 800 LBS BALLAST FUEL REQUIRED IN THE CTR (#2 TANK) FOR WT AND BAL. WHILE ENRTE, CREW DISCOVERED THE #2 FUEL BOOST PUMPS REMAINED ON AND 720 LBS OF BALLAST FUEL HAD BURNED OFF (80 LBS REMAINED). DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED WHEN ACFT 70 DME SE OF MSP. CREW REQUESTED A RECALCULATION OF WT AND BAL TO CONFIRM ACFT WAS WITHIN CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS FOR LNDG. A MANUAL WT AND BAL WAS PERFORMED USING FAA APPROVED (CHASE AROUND CHART) INDEX CHART. WT AND BAL CALCULATION WAS PERFORMED BY THE LOAD AGENT. BOTH MYSELF (DISPATCHER) AND THE WT AND BAL AGENT AGREED THAT THE ACFT WAS WITHIN CTR OF GRAVITY LIMITS. CREW INDICATED THE ACFT HANDLED NORMAL ON LNDG AND FLT CONCLUDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.