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The trip fuel on a B737-800 was improperly loaded. The crew returned to the gate for fuel redistribution.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 635772 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200410 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gum.airport |
| State Reference | GU |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : pushback ground : preflight ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 133 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000 |
| ASRS Report | 635772 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
During pushback noticed an unusual fuel loading. Dispatch load was 18000 pounds. However, rather than filling the wing tanks first and then putting the remaining 1000 pounds of fuel in the center tank, the fuel was evenly distributed amongst all 3 tanks of 6000 pounds each. After consulting with the aircraft flight manual, dispatch, load planning and maintenance, I made the decision to return to the gate to have the center fuel xferred into the wing tanks. My reason for the return is the proper fueling procedure should have been to fill the wing tanks first and then put the remaining amount into the center tank as per aircraft flight manual and also, I could not get assurance from our load planner that the unusual fuel load would be accounted for in the weight and balance. Additionally, I could not adequately verify from maintenance and dispatch that the fuel loading was a legal procedure. Thus to seek the safest approach we returned back to the gate.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE TRIP FUEL ON A B737-800 WAS IMPROPERLY LOADED. THE CREW RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR FUEL REDISTRIBUTION.
Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK NOTICED AN UNUSUAL FUEL LOADING. DISPATCH LOAD WAS 18000 LBS. HOWEVER, RATHER THAN FILLING THE WING TANKS FIRST AND THEN PUTTING THE REMAINING 1000 LBS OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK, THE FUEL WAS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AMONGST ALL 3 TANKS OF 6000 LBS EACH. AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE ACFT FLT MANUAL, DISPATCH, LOAD PLANNING AND MAINT, I MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO THE GATE TO HAVE THE CTR FUEL XFERRED INTO THE WING TANKS. MY REASON FOR THE RETURN IS THE PROPER FUELING PROC SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO FILL THE WING TANKS FIRST AND THEN PUT THE REMAINING AMOUNT INTO THE CTR TANK AS PER ACFT FLT MANUAL AND ALSO, I COULD NOT GET ASSURANCE FROM OUR LOAD PLANNER THAT THE UNUSUAL FUEL LOAD WOULD BE ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE WT AND BAL. ADDITIONALLY, I COULD NOT ADEQUATELY VERIFY FROM MAINT AND DISPATCH THAT THE FUEL LOADING WAS A LEGAL PROC. THUS TO SEEK THE SAFEST APCH WE RETURNED BACK TO THE GATE.
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.