MD80 crew had an unexplained fuel load discrepancy that was not explained prior to leaving the gate.

Attributes
ACN	568794
Time
Date	200212
Day	Mon
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
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	568794
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Fuel error. Aircraft loaded with more fuel than flight planned. Advised dispatcher of difference by phone and he said he would contact load control with difference. MEL items on fuel system require head of maintenance to explain to me why previous captain refused aircraft fuel MEL items on taxi out -- received close-out under planned weight. Zero fuel set in by first officer, checklist completed. Aircraft load closeout compared to planned takeoff weight and missed old fuel load was in closeout. Just missed verifying current weight on totalizer while taxiing out. Aircraft departed with wrong speed settings as result. Aircraft had more fuel than stated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD AN UNEXPLAINED FUEL LOAD DISCREPANCY THAT WAS NOT EXPLAINED PRIOR TO LEAVING THE GATE.

Narrative: FUEL ERROR. ACFT LOADED WITH MORE FUEL THAN FLT PLANNED. ADVISED DISPATCHER OF DIFFERENCE BY PHONE AND HE SAID HE WOULD CONTACT LOAD CTL WITH DIFFERENCE. MEL ITEMS ON FUEL SYS REQUIRE HEAD OF MAINT TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY PREVIOUS CAPT REFUSED ACFT FUEL MEL ITEMS ON TAXI OUT -- RECEIVED CLOSE-OUT UNDER PLANNED WT. ZERO FUEL SET IN BY FO, CHKLIST COMPLETED. ACFT LOAD CLOSEOUT COMPARED TO PLANNED TKOF WT AND MISSED OLD FUEL LOAD WAS IN CLOSEOUT. JUST MISSED VERIFYING CURRENT WT ON TOTALIZER WHILE TAXIING OUT. ACFT DEPARTED WITH WRONG SPD SETTINGS AS RESULT. ACFT HAD MORE FUEL THAN STATED.

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.