Narrative:

Aircraft was overfueled. Fueler said he had no fuel sheet but was 'told' to ballast to 200000 pounds. We were able to stop him at 171000 pounds; about 26000 pounds more than cleared fuel. The fuel sheet was presented to the cockpit moments before departure and taking into account the now higher cleared fuel; it looked good as per the required fom checks. We noticed later in the flight that the main tanks were not filled to capacity and the center tank was fueled to 59000 pounds. This resulted in exceeding the limitation of center fuel plus actual ZFW not to exceed maximum ZFW when wing tanks are not full by 5500 pounds. There was no turbulence of any kind and the flight was conducted smoothly with no further problems. Supplemental information from acn 716631: our cleared fuel was 145500 pounds and fob at pushback was 172700 pounds. Taxi; takeoff and climb were normal. After leveloff and for the next 2-3 hours; we discussed as a crew what had happened and the possible reasons or causes. As is often the case; we began to delve deeply into system questions; fom issues and flight manual issues. It was then that we discovered buried deeply in the fuel system limits section that when the aircraft has less than full main tanks (as in our case); the sum of the actual center tank fuel and the actual ZFW must not exceed the maximum ZFW (this is not a memory recall item). In our case it did by approximately 5000 pounds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 IS OVER FUELED FOR THE FLT AND EXCEEDS THE ZFW FOR THE ACFT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS OVERFUELED. FUELER SAID HE HAD NO FUEL SHEET BUT WAS 'TOLD' TO BALLAST TO 200000 LBS. WE WERE ABLE TO STOP HIM AT 171000 LBS; ABOUT 26000 LBS MORE THAN CLRED FUEL. THE FUEL SHEET WAS PRESENTED TO THE COCKPIT MOMENTS BEFORE DEP AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE NOW HIGHER CLRED FUEL; IT LOOKED GOOD AS PER THE REQUIRED FOM CHKS. WE NOTICED LATER IN THE FLT THAT THE MAIN TANKS WERE NOT FILLED TO CAPACITY AND THE CTR TANK WAS FUELED TO 59000 LBS. THIS RESULTED IN EXCEEDING THE LIMITATION OF CTR FUEL PLUS ACTUAL ZFW NOT TO EXCEED MAX ZFW WHEN WING TANKS ARE NOT FULL BY 5500 LBS. THERE WAS NO TURB OF ANY KIND AND THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED SMOOTHLY WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 716631: OUR CLRED FUEL WAS 145500 LBS AND FOB AT PUSHBACK WAS 172700 LBS. TAXI; TKOF AND CLB WERE NORMAL. AFTER LEVELOFF AND FOR THE NEXT 2-3 HRS; WE DISCUSSED AS A CREW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THE POSSIBLE REASONS OR CAUSES. AS IS OFTEN THE CASE; WE BEGAN TO DELVE DEEPLY INTO SYS QUESTIONS; FOM ISSUES AND FLT MANUAL ISSUES. IT WAS THEN THAT WE DISCOVERED BURIED DEEPLY IN THE FUEL SYS LIMITS SECTION THAT WHEN THE ACFT HAS LESS THAN FULL MAIN TANKS (AS IN OUR CASE); THE SUM OF THE ACTUAL CTR TANK FUEL AND THE ACTUAL ZFW MUST NOT EXCEED THE MAX ZFW (THIS IS NOT A MEMORY RECALL ITEM). IN OUR CASE IT DID BY APPROX 5000 LBS.

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.