A B767-300 was fueled with a 4000 pound fuel imbalance on taxi out, the 'fuel confign' light was on....

Attributes
ACN	590786
Time
Date	200308
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	590786
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	590785
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel configuration warning light other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : overrode automation
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Chart Or Publication Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Situations
Publication	AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

Narrative:

It is quite possible that the aircraft was inadvertently taxied and flown with a 4000 pound fuel imbalance. Although the cockpit fuel totalizer (fuel on board) was carefully checked against the flight plan release fuel required, the apparent imbalance of the individual main fuel tank quantities was not picked up. The fuel confign warning system, which would have alerted us to this condition, was cancelled on taxi out. Takeoff was going to be into an active WX area, and we elected to wait until cruise flight to burn the center tank fuel down to 1000 pounds. The fuel confign light having the multi-function of warning of any number of fuel problems, we dismissed it as warning us of the obvious, ie, fuel in center fuel tank with center tank fuel boost pumps off. Imbalance was corrected in flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated normally the fuel loads in the wings are closely checked prior to dispatch, but in this case, a human error was made through habit. The reporter said on taxi-out the fuel confign warning light came on and was cancelled thinking it was the normal warning received with fuel in the center tank with pumps off. The reporter stated the fuel in the center tank is a requirement of an airworthiness directive to maintain the pumps covered with fuel. Supplemental information from acn 590785: fuel confign light was illuminated. Assumed it was for the center tank pumps, which we elected to leave off for takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 WAS FUELED WITH A 4000 LB FUEL IMBALANCE ON TAXI OUT, THE 'FUEL CONFIGN' LIGHT WAS ON. CREW CANCELLED LIGHT BELIEVING FUEL IN CTR TANK WITH PUMPS OFF WAS A NORMAL AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE PROC.

Narrative: IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE ACFT WAS INADVERTENTLY TAXIED AND FLOWN WITH A 4000 LB FUEL IMBALANCE. ALTHOUGH THE COCKPIT FUEL TOTALIZER (FUEL ON BOARD) WAS CAREFULLY CHKED AGAINST THE FLT PLAN RELEASE FUEL REQUIRED, THE APPARENT IMBALANCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MAIN FUEL TANK QUANTITIES WAS NOT PICKED UP. THE FUEL CONFIGN WARNING SYS, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED US TO THIS CONDITION, WAS CANCELLED ON TAXI OUT. TKOF WAS GOING TO BE INTO AN ACTIVE WX AREA, AND WE ELECTED TO WAIT UNTIL CRUISE FLT TO BURN THE CTR TANK FUEL DOWN TO 1000 LBS. THE FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT HAVING THE MULTI-FUNCTION OF WARNING OF ANY NUMBER OF FUEL PROBS, WE DISMISSED IT AS WARNING US OF THE OBVIOUS, IE, FUEL IN CTR FUEL TANK WITH CTR TANK FUEL BOOST PUMPS OFF. IMBALANCE WAS CORRECTED IN FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED NORMALLY THE FUEL LOADS IN THE WINGS ARE CLOSELY CHKED PRIOR TO DISPATCH, BUT IN THIS CASE, A HUMAN ERROR WAS MADE THROUGH HABIT. THE RPTR SAID ON TAXI-OUT THE FUEL CONFIGN WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS CANCELLED THINKING IT WAS THE NORMAL WARNING RECEIVED WITH FUEL IN THE CTR TANK WITH PUMPS OFF. THE RPTR STATED THE FUEL IN THE CTR TANK IS A REQUIREMENT OF AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE TO MAINTAIN THE PUMPS COVERED WITH FUEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 590785: FUEL CONFIGN LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. ASSUMED IT WAS FOR THE CTR TANK PUMPS, WHICH WE ELECTED TO LEAVE OFF FOR TKOF.

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.

A B767-300 was fueled with a 4000 pound fuel imbalance on taxi out, the 'fuel confign' light was on. Crew cancelled light believing fuel in center tank with pumps off was a normal airworthiness directive procedure.