A B737-200 was operated in non compliance with a fuel imbal that exceeded flight manual limits.

Attributes
ACN	621413
Time
Date	200406
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : atl.vortac
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a80.tracon tower : sch.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	621413
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
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
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon landing and shutdown at ind, first officer started the APU to provide bleed air for the packs to cool the aircraft. The xfeed valve was opened and the right fuel pumps energized to provide fuel from the tank with the most fuel: approximately 3600 pounds in the left tank and 3200 pounds in the right. The first officer then proceeded with an exterior inspection for the next leg and retrieved the paperwork from the gate agent. The first officer and captain completed the preflight before scheduled departure. Flight proceeded uneventfully until 13 mi from atl, descending to 12000 ft. The first officer was flying while the captain accomplished the approach checklist. The captain noticed a fuel imbal greater than the limits specified in the operations manual. He relinquished responsibility for the radios to the first officer and contacted the dispatcher and maintenance coordinator. The first officer continued the arrival descent with the autoplt engaged and arranged for a vector out of the pattern. ATC queried if 'assistance was needed.' the captain, first officer, dispatcher, and maintenance coordinator concurred that a normal approach and landing with minimum bank into the heavy wing was appropriate, given the fuel state and landing weight. The captain flew a 30 degree flap visual approach to atl runway 27L from a 12 mi final. Landing weight was 95500 pounds. Final was flown at 140 KIAS with 4 units of rudder trim to the right. The aircraft touched down in the landing zone on centerline with 1 degree of bank toward the heavy wing. Fuel state at landing was 4800 pounds on the left and 1300 pounds on the right.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 WAS OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A FUEL IMBAL THAT EXCEEDED FLT MANUAL LIMITS.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AND SHUTDOWN AT IND, FO STARTED THE APU TO PROVIDE BLEED AIR FOR THE PACKS TO COOL THE ACFT. THE XFEED VALVE WAS OPENED AND THE R FUEL PUMPS ENERGIZED TO PROVIDE FUEL FROM THE TANK WITH THE MOST FUEL: APPROX 3600 LBS IN THE L TANK AND 3200 LBS IN THE R. THE FO THEN PROCEEDED WITH AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION FOR THE NEXT LEG AND RETRIEVED THE PAPERWORK FROM THE GATE AGENT. THE FO AND CAPT COMPLETED THE PREFLT BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP. FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY UNTIL 13 MI FROM ATL, DSNDING TO 12000 FT. THE FO WAS FLYING WHILE THE CAPT ACCOMPLISHED THE APCH CHKLIST. THE CAPT NOTICED A FUEL IMBAL GREATER THAN THE LIMITS SPECIFIED IN THE OPS MANUAL. HE RELINQUISHED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RADIOS TO THE FO AND CONTACTED THE DISPATCHER AND MAINT COORDINATOR. THE FO CONTINUED THE ARR DSCNT WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED AND ARRANGED FOR A VECTOR OUT OF THE PATTERN. ATC QUERIED IF 'ASSISTANCE WAS NEEDED.' THE CAPT, FO, DISPATCHER, AND MAINT COORDINATOR CONCURRED THAT A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WITH MINIMUM BANK INTO THE HVY WING WAS APPROPRIATE, GIVEN THE FUEL STATE AND LNDG WT. THE CAPT FLEW A 30 DEG FLAP VISUAL APCH TO ATL RWY 27L FROM A 12 MI FINAL. LNDG WT WAS 95500 LBS. FINAL WAS FLOWN AT 140 KIAS WITH 4 UNITS OF RUDDER TRIM TO THE R. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE LNDG ZONE ON CTRLINE WITH 1 DEG OF BANK TOWARD THE HVY WING. FUEL STATE AT LNDG WAS 4800 LBS ON THE L AND 1300 LBS ON THE R.

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.