MD83 crew found aircraft acquired from another air carrier, had the flight manual incorrect. The mai...

Attributes
ACN	615316
Time
Date	200404
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx.airport
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	615316
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel quantity indicators other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : training performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

While I was doing the preflight and dealing with an unclaimed, unidented bag that was left on our aircraft, the captain was coordinating with maintenance with an auxiliary tank fueling problem. The forward auxiliary tank had dashes on our fueling panel. Per our operating manual section, this would indicate a fault in the system. The captain relayed to me that maintenance had informed him that there is no forward auxiliary tank installed in this aircraft and that we could fuel mains, center and aft auxiliary up with no problems. We accepted their expertise. The captain coordinated with dispatch on our revised fuel loading. At the end of the runway, before takeoff, we had operations call loads with our exact takeoff fuel loading and we requested and received a revised (new) load closeout with exact center of gravity and trim settings. One hour into the flight, dispatch sent us an ACARS message stating that he had talked to maintenance and they confirmed again that this is one of several aircraft that are configured that way? The dispatcher wrote that he pointed out to them and to management that our manual was wrong and must be corrected to show correct fuel capacities of the tanks. There are several problems here. Why are the forward auxiliary tank xfer circuit breakers not pulled and collared and noted as deactivated? Why is there no mention of this confign anywhere in our system information manuals? Why are the limitations not updated to reflect this confign? Maximum differential between auxiliary tanks is 400 pounds. With no forward auxiliary tank, there is obviously no such thing as a differential. This should be noted in limitations. There are 2 possible scenarios here. First is that maintenance is in error and, second, if they are not, why are the system not secured properly and why is the system information not in the poh along with all updated limitation information and malfunction checklist not in our QRH and operating manual?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 CREW FOUND ACFT ACQUIRED FROM ANOTHER ACR, HAD THE FLT MANUAL INCORRECT. THE MAINT CTLR WAS ALSO IN ERROR ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES IN THE ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS DOING THE PREFLT AND DEALING WITH AN UNCLAIMED, UNIDENTED BAG THAT WAS LEFT ON OUR ACFT, THE CAPT WAS COORDINATING WITH MAINT WITH AN AUX TANK FUELING PROB. THE FORWARD AUX TANK HAD DASHES ON OUR FUELING PANEL. PER OUR OPERATING MANUAL SECTION, THIS WOULD INDICATE A FAULT IN THE SYS. THE CAPT RELAYED TO ME THAT MAINT HAD INFORMED HIM THAT THERE IS NO FORWARD AUX TANK INSTALLED IN THIS ACFT AND THAT WE COULD FUEL MAINS, CTR AND AFT AUX UP WITH NO PROBS. WE ACCEPTED THEIR EXPERTISE. THE CAPT COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH ON OUR REVISED FUEL LOADING. AT THE END OF THE RWY, BEFORE TKOF, WE HAD OPS CALL LOADS WITH OUR EXACT TKOF FUEL LOADING AND WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A REVISED (NEW) LOAD CLOSEOUT WITH EXACT CTR OF GRAVITY AND TRIM SETTINGS. ONE HR INTO THE FLT, DISPATCH SENT US AN ACARS MESSAGE STATING THAT HE HAD TALKED TO MAINT AND THEY CONFIRMED AGAIN THAT THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL ACFT THAT ARE CONFIGURED THAT WAY? THE DISPATCHER WROTE THAT HE POINTED OUT TO THEM AND TO MGMNT THAT OUR MANUAL WAS WRONG AND MUST BE CORRECTED TO SHOW CORRECT FUEL CAPACITIES OF THE TANKS. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBS HERE. WHY ARE THE FORWARD AUX TANK XFER CIRCUIT BREAKERS NOT PULLED AND COLLARED AND NOTED AS DEACTIVATED? WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF THIS CONFIGN ANYWHERE IN OUR SYS INFO MANUALS? WHY ARE THE LIMITATIONS NOT UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS CONFIGN? MAX DIFFERENTIAL BTWN AUX TANKS IS 400 LBS. WITH NO FORWARD AUX TANK, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO SUCH THING AS A DIFFERENTIAL. THIS SHOULD BE NOTED IN LIMITATIONS. THERE ARE 2 POSSIBLE SCENARIOS HERE. FIRST IS THAT MAINT IS IN ERROR AND, SECOND, IF THEY ARE NOT, WHY ARE THE SYS NOT SECURED PROPERLY AND WHY IS THE SYS INFO NOT IN THE POH ALONG WITH ALL UPDATED LIMITATION INFO AND MALFUNCTION CHKLIST NOT IN OUR QRH AND OPERATING MANUAL?

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.

MD83 crew found aircraft acquired from another air carrier, had the flight manual incorrect. The maintenance controller was also in error about the differences in the aircraft.