Narrative:

After engine start and before taxi out, the copilot noticed and informed me that the wing tanks were not full and we had about 8000 pounds in the center tank. I said that I thought we had to go back to the gate. The copilot said that we could go if the center fuel added to the payload and aircraft weight was within the '0' fuel maximum weight. I asked him if he was sure because I had never heard of this rule. He said that he had just taken a check ride and was sure he was right. We went and the flight was uneventful. I checked our manuals after the flight and found that up to 2000 pounds he was right, but 2000 pounds was the absolute maximum. I used cockpit resource management to get the copilot's advice, but did not use all the resources at hand and I also was letting schedule influence my judgement. Supplemental information from acn 294056: I had just come out of proficiency training that week and had studied my manual thoroughly. I remembered a fuel limitation about fuel in center tank with wing tanks not filled to top. I discussed this with captain, trying to remember the limitation from memory. I told him (without looking) that I thought it was ok (fuel confign) if the fuel in center tank was added to the tank and '0' fuel weight was left tnp and the maximum '0' fuel weight of 184000 pounds. Actually, if wing tanks are not full (only 2000 pounds are allowed in the center), I should have looked it up. We consumed 500 pounds taxi due to WX and traffic and takeoff '0' fuel weight at 183800 pounds. Takeoff was uneventful and we burned off center tank and some wing fuel to mco. Landing at mco we were held high and landed at about 198000 pounds maximum landing weight. The computer showed 198400 pounds. However, weight and balance showed 182 passenger. We had blocked off 3 seats (row 11 a-c) for actual passenger total of 179 passenger due to seat problems (noted in the maintenance logbook). I tried to contact load control, but checklist, traffic, and sterile cockpit preclude getting through to them. 179 passenger count verified by passenger agent and the 'a' flight attendant. We therefore should have landed under 198000 pounds maximum landing weight. In retrospect, I did not advise captain of landing weight problem due to a jumpseat rider. The captain said I should have brought it up. In retrospect, we could have resequenced to land at mco and burned the required fuel. I did advise him of the weight and balance mistake and that we landed either at maximum landing weight or just below.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LIMITATIONS. FUEL GROSSLY MISLOADED.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START AND BEFORE TAXI OUT, THE COPLT NOTICED AND INFORMED ME THAT THE WING TANKS WERE NOT FULL AND WE HAD ABOUT 8000 LBS IN THE CTR TANK. I SAID THAT I THOUGHT WE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE GATE. THE COPLT SAID THAT WE COULD GO IF THE CTR FUEL ADDED TO THE PAYLOAD AND ACFT WT WAS WITHIN THE '0' FUEL MAX WT. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS SURE BECAUSE I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS RULE. HE SAID THAT HE HAD JUST TAKEN A CHK RIDE AND WAS SURE HE WAS RIGHT. WE WENT AND THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I CHKED OUR MANUALS AFTER THE FLT AND FOUND THAT UP TO 2000 LBS HE WAS RIGHT, BUT 2000 LBS WAS THE ABSOLUTE MAX. I USED COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT TO GET THE COPLT'S ADVICE, BUT DID NOT USE ALL THE RESOURCES AT HAND AND I ALSO WAS LETTING SCHEDULE INFLUENCE MY JUDGEMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294056: I HAD JUST COME OUT OF PROFICIENCY TRAINING THAT WK AND HAD STUDIED MY MANUAL THOROUGHLY. I REMEMBERED A FUEL LIMITATION ABOUT FUEL IN CTR TANK WITH WING TANKS NOT FILLED TO TOP. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH CAPT, TRYING TO REMEMBER THE LIMITATION FROM MEMORY. I TOLD HIM (WITHOUT LOOKING) THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS OK (FUEL CONFIGN) IF THE FUEL IN CTR TANK WAS ADDED TO THE TANK AND '0' FUEL WT WAS LEFT TNP AND THE MAX '0' FUEL WT OF 184000 LBS. ACTUALLY, IF WING TANKS ARE NOT FULL (ONLY 2000 LBS ARE ALLOWED IN THE CTR), I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED IT UP. WE CONSUMED 500 LBS TAXI DUE TO WX AND TFC AND TKOF '0' FUEL WT AT 183800 LBS. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE BURNED OFF CTR TANK AND SOME WING FUEL TO MCO. LNDG AT MCO WE WERE HELD HIGH AND LANDED AT ABOUT 198000 LBS MAX LNDG WT. THE COMPUTER SHOWED 198400 LBS. HOWEVER, WT AND BAL SHOWED 182 PAX. WE HAD BLOCKED OFF 3 SEATS (ROW 11 A-C) FOR ACTUAL PAX TOTAL OF 179 PAX DUE TO SEAT PROBS (NOTED IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK). I TRIED TO CONTACT LOAD CTL, BUT CHKLIST, TFC, AND STERILE COCKPIT PRECLUDE GETTING THROUGH TO THEM. 179 PAX COUNT VERIFIED BY PAX AGENT AND THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT. WE THEREFORE SHOULD HAVE LANDED UNDER 198000 LBS MAX LNDG WT. IN RETROSPECT, I DID NOT ADVISE CAPT OF LNDG WT PROB DUE TO A JUMPSEAT RIDER. THE CAPT SAID I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT UP. IN RETROSPECT, WE COULD HAVE RESEQUENCED TO LAND AT MCO AND BURNED THE REQUIRED FUEL. I DID ADVISE HIM OF THE WT AND BAL MISTAKE AND THAT WE LANDED EITHER AT MAX LNDG WT OR JUST BELOW.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.