Narrative:

The crew was called out to take the ZZZ1-ZZZ2 flight which was 7+ hours late. We arrived at the aircraft as 2 fuel trucks were fueling. The fueler delivered the fuel slip which showed 191.0 in the tanks. However, it also showed metered fuel and starting fuel to be 204.0. The gauges read 191.0. The fueler could not explain the discrepancy. We consulted our flight operations manual (fom) and found section 4.15 which gave relief for a missing or improperly filled out fuel slip. The form said we could go if the cockpit gauges agreed with the wing gauges, which they did. We missed the part where an aml write-up was required. I computed the takeoff data for both fuel figures. The v-spds and stop margin were essentially the same with a reduction of 4 degrees assumed temperature for the higher weight. However, since we thought we had the lower weight, that is the data we used. We took off on the center runway. As the flight progressed we were substantially below planned fuel burn. When I compared the fuel used counters to the flight plan, they matched. However, when I added fuel burned to fuel remaining, I got approximately 195.0 for the total fuel. Over the 8+ hour flight, our fuel used and fuel remaining kept increasing until at landing it was evident that we had started with 209.0 fuel on board. We wrote up the aircraft accordingly. Going into the computer, this aircraft had had a similar problem on aug/sun/04, that was not in the log (3 day history) for our flight. Maintenance had found no discrepancy and returned the aircraft to service. The only thing I would have changed was to write the aircraft up when we found the fuel slip discrepancy. If we had been cleared to go, I should have asked for a maximum power takeoff instead of reduced. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the mistake was noted on the fuel slip but they failed to advise maintenance of the discrepancy. The fuel quantity indicated 191K and the under wing indicators agreed. The reporter stated when the aircraft landed at termination it was found to have been fueled 18000 pounds over the requested load. The reporter said maintenance found the left and right wingtip tank probes were not measuring the tip tank fuel. The reporter stated the tank probes were replaced and the system checked ok.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN INCORRECT FUEL SLIP AND FUEL LOAD. ACFT WAS FUELED 18000 LBS OVER REQUESTED LOAD.

Narrative: THE CREW WAS CALLED OUT TO TAKE THE ZZZ1-ZZZ2 FLT WHICH WAS 7+ HRS LATE. WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT AS 2 FUEL TRUCKS WERE FUELING. THE FUELER DELIVERED THE FUEL SLIP WHICH SHOWED 191.0 IN THE TANKS. HOWEVER, IT ALSO SHOWED METERED FUEL AND STARTING FUEL TO BE 204.0. THE GAUGES READ 191.0. THE FUELER COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE DISCREPANCY. WE CONSULTED OUR FLT OPS MANUAL (FOM) AND FOUND SECTION 4.15 WHICH GAVE RELIEF FOR A MISSING OR IMPROPERLY FILLED OUT FUEL SLIP. THE FORM SAID WE COULD GO IF THE COCKPIT GAUGES AGREED WITH THE WING GAUGES, WHICH THEY DID. WE MISSED THE PART WHERE AN AML WRITE-UP WAS REQUIRED. I COMPUTED THE TKOF DATA FOR BOTH FUEL FIGURES. THE V-SPDS AND STOP MARGIN WERE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME WITH A REDUCTION OF 4 DEGS ASSUMED TEMP FOR THE HIGHER WT. HOWEVER, SINCE WE THOUGHT WE HAD THE LOWER WT, THAT IS THE DATA WE USED. WE TOOK OFF ON THE CTR RWY. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED WE WERE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW PLANNED FUEL BURN. WHEN I COMPARED THE FUEL USED COUNTERS TO THE FLT PLAN, THEY MATCHED. HOWEVER, WHEN I ADDED FUEL BURNED TO FUEL REMAINING, I GOT APPROX 195.0 FOR THE TOTAL FUEL. OVER THE 8+ HR FLT, OUR FUEL USED AND FUEL REMAINING KEPT INCREASING UNTIL AT LNDG IT WAS EVIDENT THAT WE HAD STARTED WITH 209.0 FUEL ON BOARD. WE WROTE UP THE ACFT ACCORDINGLY. GOING INTO THE COMPUTER, THIS ACFT HAD HAD A SIMILAR PROB ON AUG/SUN/04, THAT WAS NOT IN THE LOG (3 DAY HISTORY) FOR OUR FLT. MAINT HAD FOUND NO DISCREPANCY AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC. THE ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE CHANGED WAS TO WRITE THE ACFT UP WHEN WE FOUND THE FUEL SLIP DISCREPANCY. IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO GO, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A MAX PWR TKOF INSTEAD OF REDUCED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE MISTAKE WAS NOTED ON THE FUEL SLIP BUT THEY FAILED TO ADVISE MAINT OF THE DISCREPANCY. THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATED 191K AND THE UNDER WING INDICATORS AGREED. THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE ACFT LANDED AT TERMINATION IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN FUELED 18000 LBS OVER THE REQUESTED LOAD. THE RPTR SAID MAINT FOUND THE L AND R WINGTIP TANK PROBES WERE NOT MEASURING THE TIP TANK FUEL. THE RPTR STATED THE TANK PROBES WERE REPLACED AND THE SYS CHKED OK.

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.