A B737-300 was dispatched in non compliance with a fuel slip indicating the center tank was empty. Actual fuel in center tank was between 3000 pounds and 4000 pounds.

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Attributes
ACN	599024
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 125
ASRS Report	599024
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Chart Or Publication Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On our flight from ZZZ to ZZZ1 we were dispatched with inoperative center fuel tank. The MEL required that center tank fuel quantity be determined by other means than inoperative gauge prior to every flight. The fueler pumped all gas out of center tank and put all required fuel in main tanks. Our next flight was from ZZZ1 to ZZZ. Prior to departure the fueler brought up the fuel slip and indicated to me that center tank would not take fuel and all fuel was in the main tanks. I concluded that there was no fuel in center tank, because when we left ZZZ, it was empty and 'none' was added in ZZZ1. When I was not present, the fueler had a conversation with the captain. He indicated he had added more fuel than was indicated in the main tanks. On climb out, the captain turned on center tank fuel pumps and to our surprise between (3000-4000 pounds) of fuel was burned from center tank before pump low pressure lights illuminated. Contributing factors to this situation were lack of communication and distraction of another maintenance write-up in ZZZ1 (leaking aft lavatory service port).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A FUEL SLIP INDICATING THE CTR TANK WAS EMPTY. ACTUAL FUEL IN CTR TANK WAS BTWN 3000 LBS AND 4000 LBS.

Narrative: ON OUR FLT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WE WERE DISPATCHED WITH INOP CTR FUEL TANK. THE MEL REQUIRED THAT CTR TANK FUEL QUANTITY BE DETERMINED BY OTHER MEANS THAN INOP GAUGE PRIOR TO EVERY FLT. THE FUELER PUMPED ALL GAS OUT OF CTR TANK AND PUT ALL REQUIRED FUEL IN MAIN TANKS. OUR NEXT FLT WAS FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ. PRIOR TO DEP THE FUELER BROUGHT UP THE FUEL SLIP AND INDICATED TO ME THAT CTR TANK WOULD NOT TAKE FUEL AND ALL FUEL WAS IN THE MAIN TANKS. I CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN CTR TANK, BECAUSE WHEN WE LEFT ZZZ, IT WAS EMPTY AND 'NONE' WAS ADDED IN ZZZ1. WHEN I WAS NOT PRESENT, THE FUELER HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CAPT. HE INDICATED HE HAD ADDED MORE FUEL THAN WAS INDICATED IN THE MAIN TANKS. ON CLBOUT, THE CAPT TURNED ON CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS AND TO OUR SURPRISE BTWN (3000-4000 LBS) OF FUEL WAS BURNED FROM CTR TANK BEFORE PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS SIT WERE LACK OF COM AND DISTR OF ANOTHER MAINT WRITE-UP IN ZZZ1 (LEAKING AFT LAVATORY SVC PORT).

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.