Narrative:

The day started with a maximum delay (lightning strike inspection); and departed for las 30 mins late. Flight to las uneventful; arrived 10 mins prior to our next scheduled push. We parked the aircraft at gate X with an aircraft swap out of gate Y. Were made our way to gate Y and approaching the gate; at push time; I was handed the completed load sheet and walked onto the aircraft which was already loaded with 137+1 passenger. During the cockpit preparation; I noticed that the fuel was loaded out of limits. The wings showed approximately 7200 and the center showed approximately 2800. 17.2 total which matched the arrival fuel load. The planned fuel on board was 15.9; and the planned landing gross weight was 125.0. With our current fuel load; we were now looking at a landing gross weight of almost 127.0; and I felt that taking on more fuel to balance the aircraft was not an option. After a brief conversation with las maintenance and operations; I decided that xferring fuel was our only option. Both crew members were in the cockpit to monitor the xfer; and any possible fuel pump low pressure light. We pushed from las 20 mins late. After further review of the fom; I realized that I had inadvertently and unintentionally taken action outside of the parameters of the fom by xferring fuel out of a tank to a quantity below 2000 pounds with passenger on board. While we walked into a less than ideal situation at push time; fully loaded; improper fuel distribution; at actual takeoff gross; landing gross weight; I honestly tried to do the best job I could to get this flight moving safely toward its destination in a timely manner. I know now that the best course of action would have been to deplane all 137+1 passenger and non-essential crew before beginning the xfer. While I was obviously faced with a sense of urgency; this was not a blatant disregard for company policy or procedure. I made an honest mistake that under the same circumstances will not happen again. At any airport where heavy tankering is taking place; especially where an aircraft swap is involved; the crews need to coordination the fuel balance prior to loading passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 PILOT REPORTS AN IMPROPER PREFLT FUEL TFR FROM A CTR FUEL TANK TO THE WINGS AND LESS THAN 2;000# IN THE TANK WITH PAX ON BOARD AND PUMPS ON.

Narrative: THE DAY STARTED WITH A MAX DELAY (LIGHTNING STRIKE INSPECTION); AND DEPARTED FOR LAS 30 MINS LATE. FLT TO LAS UNEVENTFUL; ARRIVED 10 MINS PRIOR TO OUR NEXT SCHEDULED PUSH. WE PARKED THE ACFT AT GATE X WITH AN ACFT SWAP OUT OF GATE Y. WERE MADE OUR WAY TO GATE Y AND APCHING THE GATE; AT PUSH TIME; I WAS HANDED THE COMPLETED LOAD SHEET AND WALKED ONTO THE ACFT WHICH WAS ALREADY LOADED WITH 137+1 PAX. DURING THE COCKPIT PREPARATION; I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL WAS LOADED OUT OF LIMITS. THE WINGS SHOWED APPROX 7200 AND THE CTR SHOWED APPROX 2800. 17.2 TOTAL WHICH MATCHED THE ARR FUEL LOAD. THE PLANNED FUEL ON BOARD WAS 15.9; AND THE PLANNED LNDG GROSS WT WAS 125.0. WITH OUR CURRENT FUEL LOAD; WE WERE NOW LOOKING AT A LNDG GROSS WT OF ALMOST 127.0; AND I FELT THAT TAKING ON MORE FUEL TO BAL THE ACFT WAS NOT AN OPTION. AFTER A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH LAS MAINT AND OPS; I DECIDED THAT XFERRING FUEL WAS OUR ONLY OPTION. BOTH CREW MEMBERS WERE IN THE COCKPIT TO MONITOR THE XFER; AND ANY POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT. WE PUSHED FROM LAS 20 MINS LATE. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW OF THE FOM; I REALIZED THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY TAKEN ACTION OUTSIDE OF THE PARAMETERS OF THE FOM BY XFERRING FUEL OUT OF A TANK TO A QUANTITY BELOW 2000 LBS WITH PAX ON BOARD. WHILE WE WALKED INTO A LESS THAN IDEAL SIT AT PUSH TIME; FULLY LOADED; IMPROPER FUEL DISTRIBUTION; AT ACTUAL TKOF GROSS; LNDG GROSS WT; I HONESTLY TRIED TO DO THE BEST JOB I COULD TO GET THIS FLT MOVING SAFELY TOWARD ITS DEST IN A TIMELY MANNER. I KNOW NOW THAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DEPLANE ALL 137+1 PAX AND NON-ESSENTIAL CREW BEFORE BEGINNING THE XFER. WHILE I WAS OBVIOUSLY FACED WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY; THIS WAS NOT A BLATANT DISREGARD FOR COMPANY POLICY OR PROC. I MADE AN HONEST MISTAKE THAT UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. AT ANY ARPT WHERE HVY TANKERING IS TAKING PLACE; ESPECIALLY WHERE AN ACFT SWAP IS INVOLVED; THE CREWS NEED TO COORD THE FUEL BAL PRIOR TO LOADING PAX.

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.