Captain of MD80 finds fuel distribution incorrect.

Attributes
ACN	601264
Time
Date	200311
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq.airport
State Reference	NM
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cyyz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
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	601624
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Found aircraft at the gate fueled with 8700 pounds center tank, 4100 pounds each main. After referring to special message appended to the flight plan which specifies 5000 ft center fuel total, I decided we had the wrong fuel load. After talking with dispatch and loads and noticing that the zero fuel weight on the takeoff performance had been reduced by 9000 ft and I found a reference to the 9000 ft fuel in the loading section, I decided that we were safe to fly with the fuel as loaded since we would not exceed any limitation. Departed 14 mins late. My questions are: was I right that we were legal to depart? Shouldn't special message supersede any other fueling procedure? Why doesn't the takeoff performance use the new instead of the old total? Did we leave passenger behind because of the zero fuel weight restr?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF MD80 FINDS FUEL DISTRIBUTION INCORRECT.

Narrative: FOUND ACFT AT THE GATE FUELED WITH 8700 LBS CTR TANK, 4100 LBS EACH MAIN. AFTER REFERRING TO SPECIAL MESSAGE APPENDED TO THE FLT PLAN WHICH SPECIFIES 5000 FT CTR FUEL TOTAL, I DECIDED WE HAD THE WRONG FUEL LOAD. AFTER TALKING WITH DISPATCH AND LOADS AND NOTICING THAT THE ZERO FUEL WT ON THE TKOF PERFORMANCE HAD BEEN REDUCED BY 9000 FT AND I FOUND A REF TO THE 9000 FT FUEL IN THE LOADING SECTION, I DECIDED THAT WE WERE SAFE TO FLY WITH THE FUEL AS LOADED SINCE WE WOULD NOT EXCEED ANY LIMITATION. DEPARTED 14 MINS LATE. MY QUESTIONS ARE: WAS I RIGHT THAT WE WERE LEGAL TO DEPART? SHOULDN'T SPECIAL MESSAGE SUPERSEDE ANY OTHER FUELING PROC? WHY DOESN'T THE TKOF PERFORMANCE USE THE NEW INSTEAD OF THE OLD TOTAL? DID WE LEAVE PAX BEHIND BECAUSE OF THE ZERO FUEL WT RESTR?

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.