Flight crew of B747-400 is given fuel boarded form which showed correct total on board; but with dis...

Attributes
ACN	692236
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 25600 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	692236
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel qty gauges other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Fueler provided fuel sheet showing fuel in wrong tanks; but total amount of fuel proper. During preflight activities; the fueler came to cockpit and said he was having difficulty getting fuel into correct tanks. We were still under fueled at that time for cleared fuel of 373.6 + taxi. Captain suggested fueler go get his supervisor to help him out. Fueler returned to cockpit at departure time and gave us final fuel sheet. The fuel sheet showed total fuel to be correct; 377.1; and the actual fuel in each tank was shown as correct except the gauges showed fuel in different amounts in subject tanks. For example; fuel sheet showed actual in center and horizontal stabilizer tank to be 109.1 and 20.8; respectively. Gauges showed center and horizontal stabilizer tank to be 112.4 and 17.2; therefore; horizontal stabilizer tank was underfueled by 3600 pounds. Captain called dispatch and requested the true fuel amounts in the tanks be forwarded to central load planning. Dispatch was to call flight after block departure if discrepancies arose in weight and balance for takeoff. Captain called dispatch during taxi out; having not heard from him; and discovered over satphone that aircraft was out of balance and required 20K of structural check fuel in center tank before departure. We were not within limits and were prohibited from taking off. After examining all options; it was agreed that flight could burn from only center tank (on the ground) by keeping flaps up; burn center quantity to 109.1; captain and dispatch agreed new cleared fuel reduced to 366.4 at XA47Z; and flight could go. Burned the center tank to agreed amount; 109.1; departed normally after about 1 hour of taxi time. Again; the actual fuel in each tank of the final fueling sheet showed the 'desired' amount of fuel; not actual. The fueling sheet had been forced to show a legal fueling; but the actual in the individual tanks; when entered into the load planning computer; showed us illegal for departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B747-400 IS GIVEN FUEL BOARDED FORM WHICH SHOWED CORRECT TOTAL ON BOARD; BUT WITH DISTRIBUTION IN THE CTR AND HORIZ STABILIZER TANKS DIFFERING FROM THE FUEL GAUGES THEMSELVES. ACTUAL FUEL QUANTITY DISTRIBUTION WAS ILLEGAL.

Narrative: FUELER PROVIDED FUEL SHEET SHOWING FUEL IN WRONG TANKS; BUT TOTAL AMOUNT OF FUEL PROPER. DURING PREFLT ACTIVITIES; THE FUELER CAME TO COCKPIT AND SAID HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING FUEL INTO CORRECT TANKS. WE WERE STILL UNDER FUELED AT THAT TIME FOR CLRED FUEL OF 373.6 + TAXI. CAPT SUGGESTED FUELER GO GET HIS SUPVR TO HELP HIM OUT. FUELER RETURNED TO COCKPIT AT DEP TIME AND GAVE US FINAL FUEL SHEET. THE FUEL SHEET SHOWED TOTAL FUEL TO BE CORRECT; 377.1; AND THE ACTUAL FUEL IN EACH TANK WAS SHOWN AS CORRECT EXCEPT THE GAUGES SHOWED FUEL IN DIFFERENT AMOUNTS IN SUBJECT TANKS. FOR EXAMPLE; FUEL SHEET SHOWED ACTUAL IN CTR AND HORIZ STABILIZER TANK TO BE 109.1 AND 20.8; RESPECTIVELY. GAUGES SHOWED CTR AND HORIZ STABILIZER TANK TO BE 112.4 AND 17.2; THEREFORE; HORIZ STABILIZER TANK WAS UNDERFUELED BY 3600 LBS. CAPT CALLED DISPATCH AND REQUESTED THE TRUE FUEL AMOUNTS IN THE TANKS BE FORWARDED TO CENTRAL LOAD PLANNING. DISPATCH WAS TO CALL FLT AFTER BLOCK DEP IF DISCREPANCIES AROSE IN WT AND BAL FOR TKOF. CAPT CALLED DISPATCH DURING TAXI OUT; HAVING NOT HEARD FROM HIM; AND DISCOVERED OVER SATPHONE THAT ACFT WAS OUT OF BAL AND REQUIRED 20K OF STRUCTURAL CHK FUEL IN CTR TANK BEFORE DEP. WE WERE NOT WITHIN LIMITS AND WERE PROHIBITED FROM TAKING OFF. AFTER EXAMINING ALL OPTIONS; IT WAS AGREED THAT FLT COULD BURN FROM ONLY CTR TANK (ON THE GND) BY KEEPING FLAPS UP; BURN CTR QUANTITY TO 109.1; CAPT AND DISPATCH AGREED NEW CLRED FUEL REDUCED TO 366.4 AT XA47Z; AND FLT COULD GO. BURNED THE CTR TANK TO AGREED AMOUNT; 109.1; DEPARTED NORMALLY AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF TAXI TIME. AGAIN; THE ACTUAL FUEL IN EACH TANK OF THE FINAL FUELING SHEET SHOWED THE 'DESIRED' AMOUNT OF FUEL; NOT ACTUAL. THE FUELING SHEET HAD BEEN FORCED TO SHOW A LEGAL FUELING; BUT THE ACTUAL IN THE INDIVIDUAL TANKS; WHEN ENTERED INTO THE LOAD PLANNING COMPUTER; SHOWED US ILLEGAL FOR DEP.

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.

Flight crew of B747-400 is given fuel boarded form which showed correct total on board; but with distribution in the center and horizontal stabilizer tanks differing from the fuel gauges themselves. Actual fuel quantity distribution was illegal.