Narrative:

During preflight; fueler told first officer the center fuel tank quantity gauge was inoperative. Maintenance attached an MEL; however; minimum fuel required 3500 pounds fuel to put in the center tank. The fuel slip form was completed and a verbal ok was received from maintenance control. The only fueling option was a known quantity so I asked maintenance control how they knew the center tank was empty before commencing fueling with a known quantity since we had not observed the pumps on and low pressure lights illuminated. The response was they assumed it was empty because a mechanic had worked overnight to remove the inoperative center fuel tank gauge MEL. I said to verify instead of assume. A min later; the attending mechanic entered the cockpit and told me he was sure the tank had been empty because he had spoken with the night mechanic. The fuel slip was signed. We departed and burned fuel out of the center tank until the low pressure lights indicated the tank was empty. I immediately pressed the 'fuel used' button and the total fuel burned at that point was 8000 pounds; all of which came from the center tank. The extra 4500 pounds of fuel; we were unaware of; put us above the maximum takeoff weight for the runway and power setting we used; our corresponding v-spds were incorrect; and this caused an overweight landing in ZZZ1. Had we experienced an engine failure at takeoff; I don't know if we would have been able to sustain flight. Either the fueler put fuel into the tank without being aware he did or he lied to keep out of trouble. The mechanic took someone else's word without doing the procedure as specified and signed his name to an incorrect form; possibly because he didn't want a further delay. As captain; I accepted a signed fuel slip and believed someone's word who said they did their job. Maintenance control is just as culpable as the mechanic. Who can I believe?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE IMPROPER FUEL LOAD IN THE CTR TANK. THE CTR TANK QUANTITY INDICATOR WAS DEFERRED AS INOP PER THE MEL. THE CTR TANK WAS NOT EMPTY WHEN THE REQUIRED 3500 LBS WERE ADDED.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT; FUELER TOLD FO THE CTR FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE WAS INOP. MAINT ATTACHED AN MEL; HOWEVER; MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRED 3500 LBS FUEL TO PUT IN THE CTR TANK. THE FUEL SLIP FORM WAS COMPLETED AND A VERBAL OK WAS RECEIVED FROM MAINT CTL. THE ONLY FUELING OPTION WAS A KNOWN QUANTITY SO I ASKED MAINT CTL HOW THEY KNEW THE CTR TANK WAS EMPTY BEFORE COMMENCING FUELING WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY SINCE WE HAD NOT OBSERVED THE PUMPS ON AND LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE RESPONSE WAS THEY ASSUMED IT WAS EMPTY BECAUSE A MECH HAD WORKED OVERNIGHT TO REMOVE THE INOP CTR FUEL TANK GAUGE MEL. I SAID TO VERIFY INSTEAD OF ASSUME. A MIN LATER; THE ATTENDING MECH ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND TOLD ME HE WAS SURE THE TANK HAD BEEN EMPTY BECAUSE HE HAD SPOKEN WITH THE NIGHT MECH. THE FUEL SLIP WAS SIGNED. WE DEPARTED AND BURNED FUEL OUT OF THE CTR TANK UNTIL THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY. I IMMEDIATELY PRESSED THE 'FUEL USED' BUTTON AND THE TOTAL FUEL BURNED AT THAT POINT WAS 8000 LBS; ALL OF WHICH CAME FROM THE CTR TANK. THE EXTRA 4500 LBS OF FUEL; WE WERE UNAWARE OF; PUT US ABOVE THE MAX TKOF WT FOR THE RWY AND PWR SETTING WE USED; OUR CORRESPONDING V-SPDS WERE INCORRECT; AND THIS CAUSED AN OVERWT LNDG IN ZZZ1. HAD WE EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE AT TKOF; I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUSTAIN FLT. EITHER THE FUELER PUT FUEL INTO THE TANK WITHOUT BEING AWARE HE DID OR HE LIED TO KEEP OUT OF TROUBLE. THE MECH TOOK SOMEONE ELSE'S WORD WITHOUT DOING THE PROC AS SPECIFIED AND SIGNED HIS NAME TO AN INCORRECT FORM; POSSIBLY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT A FURTHER DELAY. AS CAPT; I ACCEPTED A SIGNED FUEL SLIP AND BELIEVED SOMEONE'S WORD WHO SAID THEY DID THEIR JOB. MAINT CTL IS JUST AS CULPABLE AS THE MECH. WHO CAN I BELIEVE?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.