Narrative:

After pushback onto taxiway, I initiated a single engine taxi. The trim tank was placarded per MEL 28-27B and fully complied with. No fuel in center tank. After approximately 20 mins, second engine was started for takeoff. After start we completed the checklist, noting the trim tank system inoperative on the status page. While taxiing into position, I noted the center tank pump switches faulted on the overhead panel. I cycled them off and on, and they still showed faulted. As the center tank was empty, I considered the pumps to not be significant, and we initiated take off. All seemed ok, with no ECAM warnings. As part of the after takeoff check I looked at the fuel page and immediately noted the outer tank quantities were below normal, and ascertained that we were burning out of the outer tanks. A look at the fuel panel showed the fault lights illuminated on the center tank pump switches. The center tank pump switches were selected off, and the fuel page indicated fuel burn switching from outer tanks to inner tanks. Follow up with the book procedure confirmed the correct action, and we proceeded, after checking with maintenance control for any other considerations, to a normal landing. In hindsight, I should have given the fault lights far more importance, even though we were on the ground with no fuel in the center tank. I had assumed automatic fuel feed was not active with no fuel in the center tank, but now I know the switching logic can still fault the system in this case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 300 ON TKOF THE CREW WAS UNAWARE OF FUEL FEEDING ENGS FROM OUTER WING TANKS. DEFERRED ITEM PROC REQUIRED CTR TANK PUMPS TO BE SWITCHED OFF TO FEED ENGS NORMALLY FROM INNER WING TANKS.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK ONTO TXWY, I INITIATED A SINGLE ENG TAXI. THE TRIM TANK WAS PLACARDED PER MEL 28-27B AND FULLY COMPLIED WITH. NO FUEL IN CTR TANK. AFTER APPROX 20 MINS, SECOND ENG WAS STARTED FOR TKOF. AFTER START WE COMPLETED THE CHKLIST, NOTING THE TRIM TANK SYS INOP ON THE STATUS PAGE. WHILE TAXIING INTO POS, I NOTED THE CTR TANK PUMP SWITCHES FAULTED ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL. I CYCLED THEM OFF AND ON, AND THEY STILL SHOWED FAULTED. AS THE CTR TANK WAS EMPTY, I CONSIDERED THE PUMPS TO NOT BE SIGNIFICANT, AND WE INITIATED TAKE OFF. ALL SEEMED OK, WITH NO ECAM WARNINGS. AS PART OF THE AFTER TKOF CHK I LOOKED AT THE FUEL PAGE AND IMMEDIATELY NOTED THE OUTER TANK QUANTITIES WERE BELOW NORMAL, AND ASCERTAINED THAT WE WERE BURNING OUT OF THE OUTER TANKS. A LOOK AT THE FUEL PANEL SHOWED THE FAULT LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE CTR TANK PUMP SWITCHES. THE CTR TANK PUMP SWITCHES WERE SELECTED OFF, AND THE FUEL PAGE INDICATED FUEL BURN SWITCHING FROM OUTER TANKS TO INNER TANKS. FOLLOW UP WITH THE BOOK PROC CONFIRMED THE CORRECT ACTION, AND WE PROCEEDED, AFTER CHKING WITH MAINT CTL FOR ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, TO A NORMAL LNDG. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE FAULT LIGHTS FAR MORE IMPORTANCE, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ON THE GND WITH NO FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. I HAD ASSUMED AUTO FUEL FEED WAS NOT ACTIVE WITH NO FUEL IN THE CTR TANK, BUT NOW I KNOW THE SWITCHING LOGIC CAN STILL FAULT THE SYS IN THIS CASE.

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.