B737-300 crew had a fuel imbal after departing with an MEL'ed inoperative center tank boost pump.

Attributes
ACN	534088
Time
Date	200112
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cmh.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	534088
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

A B737-300 was dispatched with the l-hand center fuel tank boost pump inoperative, plus other MEL items. Prior to flight, crew had reviewed placard for the inoperative l-hand boost pump. Cleared fuel was 26.1, thus use of center tank was required. Dispatched fuel distribution was 1 main:10,300, center:6240, 2 main:10,220, total:26790. MEL TOGW was 127500 pounds. A 'count' was required to comply. Pushback at XA31. Aircraft was deiced off gate with type 1. Runway 28L at cmh was required due to aircraft TOGW. Crew called for taxi at approximately XA45 and was told runway 28L was closed for snow removal. Estimated open time was 15-20 mins. At runway 28L, crew accomplished all checklists and agreed that all placard items were done. First officer was PF. Takeoff and initial climb normal. At approximately 10000 ft MSL, captain observed 1 main indicating 8900, 2 main 10000. The r-hand center fuel tank pump switch was turned off, and main xfeed begun. Normal balance achieved by FL200. At FL330, crew reviewed procedure for fuel pump low pressure light illuminated. Procedure directs if 1 center tank low pressure illuminates to open xfeed valve. Our l-hand light was not illuminated. Switch was off per MEL. Crew agreed intent of procedure was to open xfeed valve if pump inoperative (switch off or illuminated low pressure light). Xfeed open and fuel fed normally out of center tank. Maintenance was called and asked if the 1100 pound imbal required a logbook entry. Answer no. Crew again reviewed MEL placard and found no direction to open xfeed valve with center tank fuel, or to reference a flight manual irregular or additional procedure for an inoperative center fuel boost pump. Other MEL placards for inoperative equipment do direct specific crew actions or refer to the flight manual. Both captain and first officer had had concerns about exactly how the fuel panel should be configured for takeoff, but did not articulate them to each other due to distrs with the deice procedures, MEL placard restrs, etc. Recommendation: MEL placards should be stand alone documents with specific documentation for the crew to follow in all non standard confign sits.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD A FUEL IMBAL AFTER DEPARTING WITH AN MEL'ED INOP CTR TANK BOOST PUMP.

Narrative: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE L-HAND CTR FUEL TANK BOOST PUMP INOP, PLUS OTHER MEL ITEMS. PRIOR TO FLT, CREW HAD REVIEWED PLACARD FOR THE INOP L-HAND BOOST PUMP. CLRED FUEL WAS 26.1, THUS USE OF CTR TANK WAS REQUIRED. DISPATCHED FUEL DISTRIBUTION WAS 1 MAIN:10,300, CTR:6240, 2 MAIN:10,220, TOTAL:26790. MEL TOGW WAS 127500 LBS. A 'COUNT' WAS REQUIRED TO COMPLY. PUSHBACK AT XA31. ACFT WAS DEICED OFF GATE WITH TYPE 1. RWY 28L AT CMH WAS REQUIRED DUE TO ACFT TOGW. CREW CALLED FOR TAXI AT APPROX XA45 AND WAS TOLD RWY 28L WAS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. ESTIMATED OPEN TIME WAS 15-20 MINS. AT RWY 28L, CREW ACCOMPLISHED ALL CHKLISTS AND AGREED THAT ALL PLACARD ITEMS WERE DONE. FO WAS PF. TKOF AND INITIAL CLB NORMAL. AT APPROX 10000 FT MSL, CAPT OBSERVED 1 MAIN INDICATING 8900, 2 MAIN 10000. THE R-HAND CTR FUEL TANK PUMP SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF, AND MAIN XFEED BEGUN. NORMAL BAL ACHIEVED BY FL200. AT FL330, CREW REVIEWED PROC FOR FUEL PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PROC DIRECTS IF 1 CTR TANK LOW PRESSURE ILLUMINATES TO OPEN XFEED VALVE. OUR L-HAND LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. SWITCH WAS OFF PER MEL. CREW AGREED INTENT OF PROC WAS TO OPEN XFEED VALVE IF PUMP INOP (SWITCH OFF OR ILLUMINATED LOW PRESSURE LIGHT). XFEED OPEN AND FUEL FED NORMALLY OUT OF CTR TANK. MAINT WAS CALLED AND ASKED IF THE 1100 LB IMBAL REQUIRED A LOGBOOK ENTRY. ANSWER NO. CREW AGAIN REVIEWED MEL PLACARD AND FOUND NO DIRECTION TO OPEN XFEED VALVE WITH CTR TANK FUEL, OR TO REF A FLT MANUAL IRREGULAR OR ADDITIONAL PROC FOR AN INOP CTR FUEL BOOST PUMP. OTHER MEL PLACARDS FOR INOP EQUIP DO DIRECT SPECIFIC CREW ACTIONS OR REFER TO THE FLT MANUAL. BOTH CAPT AND FO HAD HAD CONCERNS ABOUT EXACTLY HOW THE FUEL PANEL SHOULD BE CONFIGURED FOR TKOF, BUT DID NOT ARTICULATE THEM TO EACH OTHER DUE TO DISTRS WITH THE DEICE PROCS, MEL PLACARD RESTRS, ETC. RECOMMENDATION: MEL PLACARDS SHOULD BE STAND ALONE DOCUMENTS WITH SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION FOR THE CREW TO FOLLOW IN ALL NON STANDARD CONFIGN SITS.

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.