Narrative:

We had preflted and begun to board when operations decided to switch aircraft with another which had already been fueled full for an international flight. We changed concourses and began another preflight. Maintenance was on the aircraft repairing an inoperative EICAS system which was the reason for the switch. There were 2-4 mechanics in the cockpit during preflight testing the warning system causing all to go off numerous times. During this period, the aircraft was defueled to the proper amount and a check was made to ascertain this. The aircraft was finally released for flight and boarded, during which time all appropriate checklists were completed including the start checklist which calls for a check of fuel and a verbal callout of the amount, which was done. After pushing back from the gate and starting engines the checklist calls for pushing the recall feature which checks for abnormal sits. At this time it was noted that though the fuel quantity was correct it was distributed in the incorrect tanks. The aircraft was taxied back to the gate, where maintenance xferred fuel into the appropriate tanks and the flight was then completed uneventfully. The problem was caused by a late schedule change which swapped aircraft, and with too many things happening at the same time in an attempt to cause a minimal departure delay. In the future, I believe I will leave the cockpit while maintenance is being performed so as to reduce the confusion level which often occurs and certainly occurred here.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER ACFT CHANGE AND DEFUELING, CREW TAXIES ONLY TO FIND THE FUEL LOADED INCORRECTLY.

Narrative: WE HAD PREFLTED AND BEGUN TO BOARD WHEN OPS DECIDED TO SWITCH ACFT WITH ANOTHER WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN FUELED FULL FOR AN INTL FLT. WE CHANGED CONCOURSES AND BEGAN ANOTHER PREFLT. MAINT WAS ON THE ACFT REPAIRING AN INOP EICAS SYS WHICH WAS THE REASON FOR THE SWITCH. THERE WERE 2-4 MECHS IN THE COCKPIT DURING PREFLT TESTING THE WARNING SYS CAUSING ALL TO GO OFF NUMEROUS TIMES. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE ACFT WAS DEFUELED TO THE PROPER AMOUNT AND A CHK WAS MADE TO ASCERTAIN THIS. THE ACFT WAS FINALLY RELEASED FOR FLT AND BOARDED, DURING WHICH TIME ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED INCLUDING THE START CHKLIST WHICH CALLS FOR A CHK OF FUEL AND A VERBAL CALLOUT OF THE AMOUNT, WHICH WAS DONE. AFTER PUSHING BACK FROM THE GATE AND STARTING ENGS THE CHKLIST CALLS FOR PUSHING THE RECALL FEATURE WHICH CHKS FOR ABNORMAL SITS. AT THIS TIME IT WAS NOTED THAT THOUGH THE FUEL QUANTITY WAS CORRECT IT WAS DISTRIBUTED IN THE INCORRECT TANKS. THE ACFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE, WHERE MAINT XFERRED FUEL INTO THE APPROPRIATE TANKS AND THE FLT WAS THEN COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A LATE SCHEDULE CHANGE WHICH SWAPPED ACFT, AND WITH TOO MANY THINGS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME IN AN ATTEMPT TO CAUSE A MINIMAL DEP DELAY. IN THE FUTURE, I BELIEVE I WILL LEAVE THE COCKPIT WHILE MAINT IS BEING PERFORMED SO AS TO REDUCE THE CONFUSION LEVEL WHICH OFTEN OCCURS AND CERTAINLY OCCURRED HERE.

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.