Narrative:

During preflight duties it was discovered that the fuel had been mis-loaded. My recommended fuel load was 19000 pounds. All of this fuel should have been divided equally between the two wing tanks and the center tank should have been empty. The center fuel tank contained approximately 1000 pounds of fuel. This fuel had to be transferred because our approved weight and balance program is automated and with less than full wing tanks it considers the center tank empty. I contacted our maintenance department; via ACARS; to have the center tank fuel transferred to the wing tanks. The mechanic transferred the fuel; we finished the final loading calculations; preformed the checklist items and pushed away from the gate. All was fairly normal to this point and we departed the gate 6 minutes late. Our company has mandated the flight crew (specifically the captain); notify the chief pilot/director of operations whenever a delay takes place during line operations. It has been directed to be sent via the ACARS system. This can only be accomplished while physically in the aircraft and is requested so the company can correct or place blame on the responsible party. This also has created a very threatening atmosphere to work in. During the pushback; and prior to engine start; I sent the company dispatch office an ACARS message that we had been mis-fueled and that was the reason for the 6 minute late departure. In addition to this normal communication system (ACARS); the flight crews are required to monitor the company's station VHF radio frequencies during ground operations (taxi out/in). We started one engine and began our taxi to runway. When taxiing on one engine the before takeoff checklist must be delayed until all engines are running. During our taxi we transited a hot spot and were required to cross an active runway along with the planning and timing of the second engine start; accomplishment of the remaining checklist; all while monitoring the controller's and company frequencies. I usually do not monitor the company frequency after I leave the ramp area for obvious reasons of unnecessary distractions during taxi. All items were completed and we were number one for takeoff when the ZZZ tower controller called and said the company had requested we contact them. When I contacted the station via the station radio; I was asked why we reported a late departure and what the reason was. This had already been reported and this interference from the ZZZ station distracted us from our duties and caused for a further delay in getting airborne because we lost two takeoff slots because of this unnecessary call. This report contains several key items that should be addressed: how much unnecessary communication and distractions should be allowed (if any) while the aircraft is underway during sterile cockpit conditions. How much authority can the company give to non-trained; and non-flight operations personnel to access the required communications system and distract flight crews while underway.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 PLT DISCUSSES HIS ACR'S POLICY OF DELAYED OPERATIONS ACCOUNTABILITY. NON-OPS PERSONNEL INAPPROPRIATELY INTERRUPT AND DISTRACT FLT CREWS WHILE DETERMINING DELAY REASON.

Narrative: DURING PREFLIGHT DUTIES IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL HAD BEEN MIS-LOADED. MY RECOMMENDED FUEL LOAD WAS 19000 LBS. ALL OF THIS FUEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIVIDED EQUALLY BETWEEN THE TWO WING TANKS AND THE CENTER TANK SHOULD HAVE BEEN EMPTY. THE CENTER FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 1000 LBS OF FUEL. THIS FUEL HAD TO BE TRANSFERRED BECAUSE OUR APPROVED WEIGHT AND BALANCE PROGRAM IS AUTOMATED AND WITH LESS THAN FULL WING TANKS IT CONSIDERS THE CENTER TANK EMPTY. I CONTACTED OUR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT; VIA ACARS; TO HAVE THE CENTER TANK FUEL TRANSFERRED TO THE WING TANKS. THE MECHANIC TRANSFERRED THE FUEL; WE FINISHED THE FINAL LOADING CALCULATIONS; PREFORMED THE CHECKLIST ITEMS AND PUSHED AWAY FROM THE GATE. ALL WAS FAIRLY NORMAL TO THIS POINT AND WE DEPARTED THE GATE 6 MINUTES LATE. OUR COMPANY HAS MANDATED THE FLIGHT CREW (SPECIFICALLY THE CAPTAIN); NOTIFY THE CHIEF PILOT/DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WHENEVER A DELAY TAKES PLACE DURING LINE OPERATIONS. IT HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO BE SENT VIA THE ACARS SYSTEM. THIS CAN ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED WHILE PHYSICALLY IN THE AIRCRAFT AND IS REQUESTED SO THE COMPANY CAN CORRECT OR PLACE BLAME ON THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY. THIS ALSO HAS CREATED A VERY THREATENING ATMOSPHERE TO WORK IN. DURING THE PUSHBACK; AND PRIOR TO ENGINE START; I SENT THE COMPANY DISPATCH OFFICE AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT WE HAD BEEN MIS-FUELED AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE 6 MINUTE LATE DEPARTURE. IN ADDITION TO THIS NORMAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (ACARS); THE FLIGHT CREWS ARE REQUIRED TO MONITOR THE COMPANY'S STATION VHF RADIO FREQUENCIES DURING GROUND OPERATIONS (TAXI OUT/IN). WE STARTED ONE ENGINE AND BEGAN OUR TAXI TO RWY. WHEN TAXIING ON ONE ENGINE THE BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST MUST BE DELAYED UNTIL ALL ENGINES ARE RUNNING. DURING OUR TAXI WE TRANSITED A HOT SPOT AND WERE REQUIRED TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RUNWAY ALONG WITH THE PLANNING AND TIMING OF THE SECOND ENGINE START; ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE REMAINING CHECKLIST; ALL WHILE MONITORING THE CONTROLLER'S AND COMPANY FREQUENCIES. I USUALLY DO NOT MONITOR THE COMPANY FREQUENCY AFTER I LEAVE THE RAMP AREA FOR OBVIOUS REASONS OF UNNECESSARY DISTRACTIONS DURING TAXI. ALL ITEMS WERE COMPLETED AND WE WERE NUMBER ONE FOR TAKEOFF WHEN THE ZZZ TOWER CONTROLLER CALLED AND SAID THE COMPANY HAD REQUESTED WE CONTACT THEM. WHEN I CONTACTED THE STATION VIA THE STATION RADIO; I WAS ASKED WHY WE REPORTED A LATE DEPARTURE AND WHAT THE REASON WAS. THIS HAD ALREADY BEEN REPORTED AND THIS INTERFERENCE FROM THE ZZZ STATION DISTRACTED US FROM OUR DUTIES AND CAUSED FOR A FURTHER DELAY IN GETTING AIRBORNE BECAUSE WE LOST TWO TAKEOFF SLOTS BECAUSE OF THIS UNNECESSARY CALL. THIS REPORT CONTAINS SEVERAL KEY ITEMS THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED: HOW MUCH UNNECESSARY COMMUNICATION AND DISTRACTIONS SHOULD BE ALLOWED (IF ANY) WHILE THE AIRCRAFT IS UNDERWAY DURING STERILE COCKPIT CONDITIONS. HOW MUCH AUTHORITY CAN THE COMPANY GIVE TO NON-TRAINED; AND NON-FLIGHT OPERATIONS PERSONNEL TO ACCESS THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND DISTRACT FLIGHT CREWS WHILE UNDERWAY.

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.