Narrative:

On this flight; during the before starting engines checklist; I did not turn the center tank fuel pumps on. I do not know why I neglected to do this. We had about 23000 pounds with about 5000 pounds in the center. I reported the fuel pumps on during the prior to engine start; however; only the main tank pumps were on. Just past alb; we started our descent and only at that time noticed 5000 pounds still in the center. Left main 2850 pounds; right main 3100 pounds. We turned the center pumps on; fuel fed from the center and we landed with left main 2850 pounds; right main 3050 pounds; and the center at 3200 pounds. I had fuel logged at elx on our route and made a position report abeam crl; but I apparently did not check the main and center quantities; only the total. As I look back; I have completely lost track of the MD80 requirement to note the center tank quantity on the fuel log. We had some distrs; a vibration climbing out; direct routing with no mapped abeam points; WX deviations; PA's to get people to situation down; last leg of a 4 day trip. However; a simple check of the center tank fuel; whether on the climb checklist or fuel log would have caught my erroneous center fuel pump switch position very early in the flight. I have reviewed the company operations fuel log paragraph. Supplemental information from acn 704674: this was the last leg of a 4 day trip. We had a quick turn in chicago. We went through all the before starting engines checklists; but somehow neglected to turn on the center pumps. The pump switches on that airplane are difficult to distinguish 'off' from 'on.' we had numerous distrs on the flight. There was an odd vibration that we were concerned about that alleviated itself on climb out and cruise; there were numerous thunderstorms in the area that we had to deviate around; and we were never actually cleared to any points along our route of flight (so we could check the fuel log) until albany which is when we noticed that there was fuel in the center tank and the pumps were off. We turned the pumps on; and began burning the center tank fuel; and landed without incident. I believe distrs and the odd pump switch contributed to this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT CREW FAILED TO TURN ON CTR TANK BOOST PUMPS DURING PREFLT; LEADING TO IMPROPER FUEL LOAD LATER IN THE FLT.

Narrative: ON THIS FLT; DURING THE BEFORE STARTING ENGS CHKLIST; I DID NOT TURN THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS ON. I DO NOT KNOW WHY I NEGLECTED TO DO THIS. WE HAD ABOUT 23000 LBS WITH ABOUT 5000 LBS IN THE CTR. I RPTED THE FUEL PUMPS ON DURING THE PRIOR TO ENG START; HOWEVER; ONLY THE MAIN TANK PUMPS WERE ON. JUST PAST ALB; WE STARTED OUR DSCNT AND ONLY AT THAT TIME NOTICED 5000 LBS STILL IN THE CTR. L MAIN 2850 LBS; R MAIN 3100 LBS. WE TURNED THE CTR PUMPS ON; FUEL FED FROM THE CTR AND WE LANDED WITH L MAIN 2850 LBS; R MAIN 3050 LBS; AND THE CTR AT 3200 LBS. I HAD FUEL LOGGED AT ELX ON OUR RTE AND MADE A POS RPT ABEAM CRL; BUT I APPARENTLY DID NOT CHK THE MAIN AND CTR QUANTITIES; ONLY THE TOTAL. AS I LOOK BACK; I HAVE COMPLETELY LOST TRACK OF THE MD80 REQUIREMENT TO NOTE THE CTR TANK QUANTITY ON THE FUEL LOG. WE HAD SOME DISTRS; A VIBRATION CLBING OUT; DIRECT ROUTING WITH NO MAPPED ABEAM POINTS; WX DEVS; PA'S TO GET PEOPLE TO SIT DOWN; LAST LEG OF A 4 DAY TRIP. HOWEVER; A SIMPLE CHK OF THE CTR TANK FUEL; WHETHER ON THE CLB CHKLIST OR FUEL LOG WOULD HAVE CAUGHT MY ERRONEOUS CTR FUEL PUMP SWITCH POS VERY EARLY IN THE FLT. I HAVE REVIEWED THE COMPANY OPS FUEL LOG PARAGRAPH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 704674: THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A 4 DAY TRIP. WE HAD A QUICK TURN IN CHICAGO. WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE BEFORE STARTING ENGS CHKLISTS; BUT SOMEHOW NEGLECTED TO TURN ON THE CTR PUMPS. THE PUMP SWITCHES ON THAT AIRPLANE ARE DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH 'OFF' FROM 'ON.' WE HAD NUMEROUS DISTRS ON THE FLT. THERE WAS AN ODD VIBRATION THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT ALLEVIATED ITSELF ON CLBOUT AND CRUISE; THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTMS IN THE AREA THAT WE HAD TO DEVIATE AROUND; AND WE WERE NEVER ACTUALLY CLRED TO ANY POINTS ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT (SO WE COULD CHK THE FUEL LOG) UNTIL ALBANY WHICH IS WHEN WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FUEL IN THE CTR TANK AND THE PUMPS WERE OFF. WE TURNED THE PUMPS ON; AND BEGAN BURNING THE CTR TANK FUEL; AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE DISTRS AND THE ODD PUMP SWITCH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.

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.