B737-300 crew discovered fuel in the aircraft center tank, when the tank was supposed to be empty.

Attributes
ACN	558533
Time
Date	200208
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cvg.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	558533
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	558534
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We flew from den to las to lax. Center tank indicated 150 pounds for both legs. After fueling in lax, fuel sheet indicated 8.1 in #1 main, 8.0 in #2 main, and zero in center tank. Gallons from truck was 1300 gallons. Center gauge in cockpit indicated 5600 pounds. I informed mechanic. The only way to verify would be to empty center tank into main tanks. Since there was 8000 pounds in the main and 10 mins to departure, and since we came in with zero in the center, mechanic deferred the gauge. In cruise, turned on center pumps and discovered that there was fuel in center tank. The fuel sheet was wrong and the gauge was in fact working. We landed in sfo using higher numbers. We had been 5000 pounds off. We concurred that the gauge had been inoperative and were very surprised that the fuel load was wrong. This was a fueler error that could have been very serious. We should have pumped what we could on the ground into the main tanks on the ground in order to verify that the gauge was inoperative.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW DISCOVERED FUEL IN THE ACFT CTR TANK, WHEN THE TANK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EMPTY.

Narrative: WE FLEW FROM DEN TO LAS TO LAX. CTR TANK INDICATED 150 LBS FOR BOTH LEGS. AFTER FUELING IN LAX, FUEL SHEET INDICATED 8.1 IN #1 MAIN, 8.0 IN #2 MAIN, AND ZERO IN CTR TANK. GALLONS FROM TRUCK WAS 1300 GALLONS. CTR GAUGE IN COCKPIT INDICATED 5600 LBS. I INFORMED MECH. THE ONLY WAY TO VERIFY WOULD BE TO EMPTY CTR TANK INTO MAIN TANKS. SINCE THERE WAS 8000 LBS IN THE MAIN AND 10 MINS TO DEP, AND SINCE WE CAME IN WITH ZERO IN THE CTR, MECH DEFERRED THE GAUGE. IN CRUISE, TURNED ON CTR PUMPS AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS FUEL IN CTR TANK. THE FUEL SHEET WAS WRONG AND THE GAUGE WAS IN FACT WORKING. WE LANDED IN SFO USING HIGHER NUMBERS. WE HAD BEEN 5000 LBS OFF. WE CONCURRED THAT THE GAUGE HAD BEEN INOP AND WERE VERY SURPRISED THAT THE FUEL LOAD WAS WRONG. THIS WAS A FUELER ERROR THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. WE SHOULD HAVE PUMPED WHAT WE COULD ON THE GND INTO THE MAIN TANKS ON THE GND IN ORDER TO VERIFY THAT THE GAUGE WAS INOP.

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.