Dispatcher report regarding an MEL on a fuel tank because of a leak. A ferry permit covered the info...

Attributes
ACN	343120
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	343120
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

MEL to center fuel tank was added due to leak. First dispatcher wrote MEL on worksheet and planned flight. The MEL notation became covered by the ferry flight message. Flight plan was done without reference to MEL limits and 400 pounds of fuel would have gone into center tank based on planned fuel load (no release was sent by first dispatcher). At shift change, second dispatcher took worksheet and later recalculated release/flight plan to remove another MEL. This resulted in increasing minimum gate release fuel by an additional 200 pounds (due to change of winds in the database). The release was sent by the second dispatcher with a fuel load requiring 600 pounds fuel in the center tank. Fuelers put at least 500 pounds of fuel in that tank. Checks and balances all missed the error until fuel was in tank. Both dispatchers missed it. No placard at wing for fuelers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER RPT REGARDING AN MEL ON A FUEL TANK BECAUSE OF A LEAK. A FERRY PERMIT COVERED THE INFO ON THE WORKSHEET, WINDS CHANGED AND FUEL WAS LOADED IN THE CTR TANK.

Narrative: MEL TO CTR FUEL TANK WAS ADDED DUE TO LEAK. FIRST DISPATCHER WROTE MEL ON WORKSHEET AND PLANNED FLT. THE MEL NOTATION BECAME COVERED BY THE FERRY FLT MESSAGE. FLT PLAN WAS DONE WITHOUT REF TO MEL LIMITS AND 400 LBS OF FUEL WOULD HAVE GONE INTO CTR TANK BASED ON PLANNED FUEL LOAD (NO RELEASE WAS SENT BY FIRST DISPATCHER). AT SHIFT CHANGE, SECOND DISPATCHER TOOK WORKSHEET AND LATER RECALCULATED RELEASE/FLT PLAN TO REMOVE ANOTHER MEL. THIS RESULTED IN INCREASING MINIMUM GATE RELEASE FUEL BY AN ADDITIONAL 200 LBS (DUE TO CHANGE OF WINDS IN THE DATABASE). THE RELEASE WAS SENT BY THE SECOND DISPATCHER WITH A FUEL LOAD REQUIRING 600 LBS FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. FUELERS PUT AT LEAST 500 LBS OF FUEL IN THAT TANK. CHKS AND BALS ALL MISSED THE ERROR UNTIL FUEL WAS IN TANK. BOTH DISPATCHERS MISSED IT. NO PLACARD AT WING FOR FUELERS.

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.

Dispatcher report regarding an MEL on a fuel tank because of a leak. A ferry permit covered the information on the worksheet, winds changed and fuel was loaded in the center tank.