B737-300 crew departed with a non standard fuel load.

Attributes
ACN	528936
Time
Date	200110
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 17100
ASRS Report	528936
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel gauges other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We had an unscheduled plane change in nashville. The jet we took was already fueled. The release had a note to 'call dispatch prior to departure.' there was a line of thunderstorms lying north of bna, dispatch had anticipated needing extra fuel to get around the WX. As it turned out that is what the note to call dispatch was about. The line of WX had not moved into our route of flight as forecast and all the extra fuel was not needed. So fueling had been stopped prior to our arriving at the airplane. As I recall we needed something like 16000 pounds/min. We were tinkering with total fuel at 24000 pounds and we had a fuel on board of 20000 pounds. By now passenger were loaded, and away we went with the line of WX now 18 mi north of bna. Our flight was uneventful. Taxiing out or sometime after takeoff I noticed that 8000 pounds in each wing and 4000 pounds in the center was not a normal way to fuel a 300 per fom limitations. I failed to catch this error prior to departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW DEPARTED WITH A NON STD FUEL LOAD.

Narrative: WE HAD AN UNSCHEDULED PLANE CHANGE IN NASHVILLE. THE JET WE TOOK WAS ALREADY FUELED. THE RELEASE HAD A NOTE TO 'CALL DISPATCH PRIOR TO DEP.' THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS LYING NORTH OF BNA, DISPATCH HAD ANTICIPATED NEEDING EXTRA FUEL TO GET AROUND THE WX. AS IT TURNED OUT THAT IS WHAT THE NOTE TO CALL DISPATCH WAS ABOUT. THE LINE OF WX HAD NOT MOVED INTO OUR ROUTE OF FLT AS FORECAST AND ALL THE EXTRA FUEL WAS NOT NEEDED. SO FUELING HAD BEEN STOPPED PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVING AT THE AIRPLANE. AS I RECALL WE NEEDED SOMETHING LIKE 16000 LBS/MIN. WE WERE TINKERING WITH TOTAL FUEL AT 24000 LBS AND WE HAD A FUEL ON BOARD OF 20000 LBS. BY NOW PAX WERE LOADED, AND AWAY WE WENT WITH THE LINE OF WX NOW 18 MI N OF BNA. OUR FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. TAXIING OUT OR SOMETIME AFTER TKOF I NOTICED THAT 8000 LBS IN EACH WING AND 4000 LBS IN THE CENTER WAS NOT A NORMAL WAY TO FUEL A 300 PER FOM LIMITATIONS. I FAILED TO CATCH THIS ERROR PRIOR TO DEP.

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.