Narrative:

This is a very complicated problem that has been going on for over 9 months but I will try my best to explain it. When you arrive; the papers show the aircraft is at maximum runway weight of 875.0 and they tell you that the tanks are full due to fuel weight then you are coerced into not adding fuel since they say the tanks are full and the only way to have more fuel on landing is to radically reduce the operational weight (read reduce the payload) by 50-100 passenger; then we go out at a weight below 875.0. I have showed them (the operations agents and the fuelers) that the tanks are not anywhere near full. I have been on this aircraft and flying this route for about 10 yrs and we have always been able to upload 380.0 plus on the fuel and take off at 875.0. Now it seems the tanks have shrunk and whoever is playing with these numbers better realize that incorrect figures are being generated by the CPU which makes this operation in vhhh dangerous. The above happened on this trip. I was told that with a 6.55 fuel weight the tanks were full at 373.2. I told the fueler to open the valves again and he had no problems giving me my requested fuel of 377.4. The dispatcher/operations agent said it could not be done; but it was done. This practice hurts the productivity of this aircraft and generated many erroneous figures on the load manifest. The temperature in ZZZ is just as hot in the summer and we can upload 380.0+. I could read the uplift quantity and density on the display page. Now that is blanked out till taxi out. Someone should look into this as the FAA would not be very happy with load planning. I believe this has been done by the cargo department. I have also gone out of vhhh lately when the aircraft flew 'heavy' (overweight).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CAPTAIN BELIEVES COMPANY IS ARTIFICIALLY DECLARING TANKS FULL AT MAX TOGW WHEN ACCOMMODATING ADDITIONAL FUEL WOULD REQUIRE A LOSS OF PAYLOAD.

Narrative: THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED PROB THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 9 MONTHS BUT I WILL TRY MY BEST TO EXPLAIN IT. WHEN YOU ARRIVE; THE PAPERS SHOW THE ACFT IS AT MAX RWY WT OF 875.0 AND THEY TELL YOU THAT THE TANKS ARE FULL DUE TO FUEL WT THEN YOU ARE COERCED INTO NOT ADDING FUEL SINCE THEY SAY THE TANKS ARE FULL AND THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE MORE FUEL ON LNDG IS TO RADICALLY REDUCE THE OPERATIONAL WT (READ REDUCE THE PAYLOAD) BY 50-100 PAX; THEN WE GO OUT AT A WT BELOW 875.0. I HAVE SHOWED THEM (THE OPS AGENTS AND THE FUELERS) THAT THE TANKS ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR FULL. I HAVE BEEN ON THIS ACFT AND FLYING THIS ROUTE FOR ABOUT 10 YRS AND WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO UPLOAD 380.0 PLUS ON THE FUEL AND TAKE OFF AT 875.0. NOW IT SEEMS THE TANKS HAVE SHRUNK AND WHOEVER IS PLAYING WITH THESE NUMBERS BETTER REALIZE THAT INCORRECT FIGURES ARE BEING GENERATED BY THE CPU WHICH MAKES THIS OP IN VHHH DANGEROUS. THE ABOVE HAPPENED ON THIS TRIP. I WAS TOLD THAT WITH A 6.55 FUEL WT THE TANKS WERE FULL AT 373.2. I TOLD THE FUELER TO OPEN THE VALVES AGAIN AND HE HAD NO PROBS GIVING ME MY REQUESTED FUEL OF 377.4. THE DISPATCHER/OPS AGENT SAID IT COULD NOT BE DONE; BUT IT WAS DONE. THIS PRACTICE HURTS THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THIS ACFT AND GENERATED MANY ERRONEOUS FIGURES ON THE LOAD MANIFEST. THE TEMP IN ZZZ IS JUST AS HOT IN THE SUMMER AND WE CAN UPLOAD 380.0+. I COULD READ THE UPLIFT QUANTITY AND DENSITY ON THE DISPLAY PAGE. NOW THAT IS BLANKED OUT TILL TAXI OUT. SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AS THE FAA WOULD NOT BE VERY HAPPY WITH LOAD PLANNING. I BELIEVE THIS HAS BEEN DONE BY THE CARGO DEPT. I HAVE ALSO GONE OUT OF VHHH LATELY WHEN THE ACFT FLEW 'HVY' (OVERWT).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.