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B737 aircraft was dispatched with the center fuel tank quantity indictor MEL'ed inoperative. The crew suspects they were over-fueled, and took off overweight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 622304 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200307 |
| Day | Thu |
| 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 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 |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 622304 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : center fuel pump low pressure lights other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : unqualified personnel |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Takeoff was over gross weight limit due to maintenance over-fueling aircraft. Center fuel gauge placarded inoperative. Maintenance signed fuel slip stating 21500 pounds total with 1400 pounds in center tank. Calculating fuel en route, we discovered that a probable 3000 pounds more fuel had been added than documented, therefore causing us to unknowingly take off approximately 2000 pounds over gross takeoff weight limit. We became curious en route when the center fuel pumps took so long before the low pressure lights came on. Could have also been a problem with maximum landing weight had the actual zero fuel weight not been lower than flight plan. I suspected, during the wait for the fuel slip, that the fueling procedure/supervision was not being done correctly as it took an exceptionally long time (20 mins) from end of fueling to receipt of the fuel slip. For this reason, I questioned the mechanic in detail as to quantity of fuel and he reassured me it was correct as stated on fuel slip, 21500 pounds total, 1400 pounds center tank. I am greatly concerned this happened all too many times and can happen again if the mechanics supervising the alternate fueling methods are not more accurate.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE CTR FUEL TANK QUANTITY INDICTOR MEL'ED INOP. THE CREW SUSPECTS THEY WERE OVER-FUELED, AND TOOK OFF OVERWT.
Narrative: TKOF WAS OVER GROSS WT LIMIT DUE TO MAINT OVER-FUELING ACFT. CTR FUEL GAUGE PLACARDED INOP. MAINT SIGNED FUEL SLIP STATING 21500 LBS TOTAL WITH 1400 LBS IN CTR TANK. CALCULATING FUEL ENRTE, WE DISCOVERED THAT A PROBABLE 3000 LBS MORE FUEL HAD BEEN ADDED THAN DOCUMENTED, THEREFORE CAUSING US TO UNKNOWINGLY TAKE OFF APPROX 2000 LBS OVER GROSS TKOF WT LIMIT. WE BECAME CURIOUS ENRTE WHEN THE CTR FUEL PUMPS TOOK SO LONG BEFORE THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS CAME ON. COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN A PROB WITH MAX LNDG WT HAD THE ACTUAL ZERO FUEL WT NOT BEEN LOWER THAN FLT PLAN. I SUSPECTED, DURING THE WAIT FOR THE FUEL SLIP, THAT THE FUELING PROC/SUPERVISION WAS NOT BEING DONE CORRECTLY AS IT TOOK AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG TIME (20 MINS) FROM END OF FUELING TO RECEIPT OF THE FUEL SLIP. FOR THIS REASON, I QUESTIONED THE MECH IN DETAIL AS TO QUANTITY OF FUEL AND HE REASSURED ME IT WAS CORRECT AS STATED ON FUEL SLIP, 21500 LBS TOTAL, 1400 LBS CTR TANK. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THIS HAPPENED ALL TOO MANY TIMES AND CAN HAPPEN AGAIN IF THE MECHS SUPERVISING THE ALTERNATE FUELING METHODS ARE NOT MORE ACCURATE.
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.