B727 flight crew discovered a fuel imbalance after takeoff. Aileron trim was asymmetrical.

Attributes
ACN	316995
Time
Date	199509
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	316995
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft on ground for over 1 hour but fueling began late. #1 fuel quantity gauge deferred inoperative which required fueler to de- fuel #1 tank and fill with known quantity. Fueler arrived late with fuel slip to be checked and verified by flight engineer. Mechanic provided dripstick measurements that were well within load and balance tolerances. Flight engineer stated we had the required fuel for burn and taxi aboard. Push back, taxi normal. After takeoff, I noticed it took 2 1/2 units of aileron trim for level flight. We began to investigate and discovered the fuel sheet showed we had 1800 pounds extra boarded. We assumed that the trim situation was caused by the fueler improperly loading this amount into the #1 tank (fuel quantity and totalizer still inoperative). Late fueling, the inoperative gauges, and a newly deferred fuel shutoff valve in #1 tank (just before push back), all contributed to a 'rushed' push back. Although we had more than the required amount of fuel, we did not realize there was an imbalance. The mechanic's dripstick measurements further assured us that nothing was wrong. In the future, I will double-check fuel papers when there is a quantity gauge inoperative to help insure load and balance. Flight continued normal, normal landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC DISCOVERED A FUEL IMBALANCE AFTER TKOF. AILERON TRIM WAS ASYMMETRICAL.

Narrative: ACFT ON GND FOR OVER 1 HR BUT FUELING BEGAN LATE. #1 FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE DEFERRED INOP WHICH REQUIRED FUELER TO DE- FUEL #1 TANK AND FILL WITH KNOWN QUANTITY. FUELER ARRIVED LATE WITH FUEL SLIP TO BE CHKED AND VERIFIED BY FE. MECH PROVIDED DRIPSTICK MEASUREMENTS THAT WERE WELL WITHIN LOAD AND BALANCE TOLERANCES. FE STATED WE HAD THE REQUIRED FUEL FOR BURN AND TAXI ABOARD. PUSH BACK, TAXI NORMAL. AFTER TKOF, I NOTICED IT TOOK 2 1/2 UNITS OF AILERON TRIM FOR LEVEL FLT. WE BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE AND DISCOVERED THE FUEL SHEET SHOWED WE HAD 1800 LBS EXTRA BOARDED. WE ASSUMED THAT THE TRIM SIT WAS CAUSED BY THE FUELER IMPROPERLY LOADING THIS AMOUNT INTO THE #1 TANK (FUEL QUANTITY AND TOTALIZER STILL INOP). LATE FUELING, THE INOP GAUGES, AND A NEWLY DEFERRED FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE IN #1 TANK (JUST BEFORE PUSH BACK), ALL CONTRIBUTED TO A 'RUSHED' PUSH BACK. ALTHOUGH WE HAD MORE THAN THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF FUEL, WE DID NOT REALIZE THERE WAS AN IMBALANCE. THE MECH'S DRIPSTICK MEASUREMENTS FURTHER ASSURED US THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL DOUBLE-CHK FUEL PAPERS WHEN THERE IS A QUANTITY GAUGE INOP TO HELP INSURE LOAD AND BAL. FLT CONTINUED NORMAL, NORMAL LNDG.

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.