Narrative:

Upon arrival I called dispatch to see what the fuel load that was planned for flight to ord. I was told it was 75000 pounds and I asked for it to be upped to 90000 pounds. I was challenged by the dispatcher as to why and said I will not fly with less because the forward fuel pumps in tanks #1 and #4 become uncovered when flying with light loads due to the acceleration and deck angle needed to maintain V2+10 on initial climb out. 1 hour prior to departure I picked up the paperwork and the fuel load was still 75000 pounds. I called back to dispatch and was told to talk to system operations. I did and was informed that company had determined that 75000 pounds was the fuel load for that flight (ZZZ-ord) and 3 other scheduled flts. I told system operations that the forward fuel pumps still became uncovered at that fuel load; light payloads. I was told that the dispatcher had come up with that number. I then told them I had been in discussion with him about this and said that when I could see documentation that says the fuel pumps can be run for longer than momentarily uncovered I would do it; so system operations said they would authority/authorized the fuel load to 90000 pounds. The only documentation that has been given to me to date pertained to the B747-400 with baffled fuel tanks; the B747-100/200 does not and a boeing operations manual bulletin from 1980 that basically tells you to have enough fuel for the flight plus reserves; avoid rapid acceleration; reduce pitch angles to keep the forward pumps covered. No time length is mentioned. I have seen pumps be uncovered through 10000 ft depending on the clearance given and not recovered until the aircraft has accelerated through 250 KTS. I have flown 27 of these flts in the last 60 days and on every flight that I requested additional fuel I have been challenged about my request and repeatedly told that it is company policy that 75000 pounds is all the fuel that these flts get. I have flown these flts with varying fuel loads from 75000 pounds on up and the minimum load that does not uncover the forward fuel pumps during all aspects of the flight is 90000 pounds. MEL 28-1 for an aft fuel pump in tanks #1 and #4 is inoperative requires a minimum fuel load in that tanks to prevent the forward pump from being uncovered is 24254 pounds; balance that across the aircraft by 4 and it is 97016 pounds so a compromise I feel is 90000 pounds. The other reason the company gives me the cost of carrying the extra 15000 pounds of fuel. On the last 27 flts I have only blocked in 5 times below the flight planned block in fuel and that was due to vectoring by ATC or extended taxiing. On all of these flts I was above the planned burn at top of descent per the flight plan so that argument is invalid on these short flts. The main question is do I as captain have final authority/authorized on what I deem is a minimum safe fuel load for the flight or do I not. Regardless of the present perception that I; dispatch; and system operations have joint responsibility for the flight; I and my crew alone have the sole mortality on that flight; that in my opinion; outweighs everything else.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-200 CAPT IS CHALLENGED ON HIS REQUEST TO ADD FUEL. CAPT FEELS THAT THE FUEL IS NECESSARY TO AVOID UNCOVERING FUEL PUMPS DURING CLIMB.

Narrative: UPON ARR I CALLED DISPATCH TO SEE WHAT THE FUEL LOAD THAT WAS PLANNED FOR FLT TO ORD. I WAS TOLD IT WAS 75000 LBS AND I ASKED FOR IT TO BE UPPED TO 90000 LBS. I WAS CHALLENGED BY THE DISPATCHER AS TO WHY AND SAID I WILL NOT FLY WITH LESS BECAUSE THE FORWARD FUEL PUMPS IN TANKS #1 AND #4 BECOME UNCOVERED WHEN FLYING WITH LIGHT LOADS DUE TO THE ACCELERATION AND DECK ANGLE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN V2+10 ON INITIAL CLBOUT. 1 HR PRIOR TO DEP I PICKED UP THE PAPERWORK AND THE FUEL LOAD WAS STILL 75000 LBS. I CALLED BACK TO DISPATCH AND WAS TOLD TO TALK TO SYS OPS. I DID AND WAS INFORMED THAT COMPANY HAD DETERMINED THAT 75000 LBS WAS THE FUEL LOAD FOR THAT FLT (ZZZ-ORD) AND 3 OTHER SCHEDULED FLTS. I TOLD SYS OPS THAT THE FORWARD FUEL PUMPS STILL BECAME UNCOVERED AT THAT FUEL LOAD; LIGHT PAYLOADS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DISPATCHER HAD COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER. I THEN TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH HIM ABOUT THIS AND SAID THAT WHEN I COULD SEE DOCUMENTATION THAT SAYS THE FUEL PUMPS CAN BE RUN FOR LONGER THAN MOMENTARILY UNCOVERED I WOULD DO IT; SO SYS OPS SAID THEY WOULD AUTH THE FUEL LOAD TO 90000 LBS. THE ONLY DOCUMENTATION THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME TO DATE PERTAINED TO THE B747-400 WITH BAFFLED FUEL TANKS; THE B747-100/200 DOES NOT AND A BOEING OPS MANUAL BULLETIN FROM 1980 THAT BASICALLY TELLS YOU TO HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE FLT PLUS RESERVES; AVOID RAPID ACCELERATION; REDUCE PITCH ANGLES TO KEEP THE FORWARD PUMPS COVERED. NO TIME LENGTH IS MENTIONED. I HAVE SEEN PUMPS BE UNCOVERED THROUGH 10000 FT DEPENDING ON THE CLRNC GIVEN AND NOT RECOVERED UNTIL THE ACFT HAS ACCELERATED THROUGH 250 KTS. I HAVE FLOWN 27 OF THESE FLTS IN THE LAST 60 DAYS AND ON EVERY FLT THAT I REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUEL I HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED ABOUT MY REQUEST AND REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT IT IS COMPANY POLICY THAT 75000 LBS IS ALL THE FUEL THAT THESE FLTS GET. I HAVE FLOWN THESE FLTS WITH VARYING FUEL LOADS FROM 75000 LBS ON UP AND THE MINIMUM LOAD THAT DOES NOT UNCOVER THE FORWARD FUEL PUMPS DURING ALL ASPECTS OF THE FLT IS 90000 LBS. MEL 28-1 FOR AN AFT FUEL PUMP IN TANKS #1 AND #4 IS INOP REQUIRES A MINIMUM FUEL LOAD IN THAT TANKS TO PREVENT THE FORWARD PUMP FROM BEING UNCOVERED IS 24254 LBS; BAL THAT ACROSS THE ACFT BY 4 AND IT IS 97016 LBS SO A COMPROMISE I FEEL IS 90000 LBS. THE OTHER REASON THE COMPANY GIVES ME THE COST OF CARRYING THE EXTRA 15000 LBS OF FUEL. ON THE LAST 27 FLTS I HAVE ONLY BLOCKED IN 5 TIMES BELOW THE FLT PLANNED BLOCK IN FUEL AND THAT WAS DUE TO VECTORING BY ATC OR EXTENDED TAXIING. ON ALL OF THESE FLTS I WAS ABOVE THE PLANNED BURN AT TOP OF DSCNT PER THE FLT PLAN SO THAT ARGUMENT IS INVALID ON THESE SHORT FLTS. THE MAIN QUESTION IS DO I AS CAPT HAVE FINAL AUTH ON WHAT I DEEM IS A MINIMUM SAFE FUEL LOAD FOR THE FLT OR DO I NOT. REGARDLESS OF THE PRESENT PERCEPTION THAT I; DISPATCH; AND SYS OPS HAVE JOINT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FLT; I AND MY CREW ALONE HAVE THE SOLE MORTALITY ON THAT FLT; THAT IN MY OPINION; OUTWEIGHS EVERYTHING ELSE.

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.