A B727 flight crew accepts the weight and balance fuel figures as produced by operations without reg...

Attributes
ACN	483978
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
ASRS Report	483978
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000
ASRS Report	484160
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During cruise climb I discovered that the fuel as reflected on the weight and balance was incorrect. We actually had 10000 pounds more fuel than was recorded on the weight and balance. We were flying an empty aircraft therefore 10000 pounds of ballast fuel was required. That was reflected correctly on the weight and balance. The preparer of the weight and balance incorrectly subtracted the usable fuel twice on the form. I failed to catch this mistake when I prepared the takeoff data. Once I discovered the mistake I notified the captain and recomputed the weight and balance data to ensure we were within aircraft limits. We were within limits and we continued on to destination. I believe the mistake was initially caused by the ramp office incorrectly preparing the weight and balance. Since ballast fuel is a relatively rare occurrence, they obviously did not know the proper procedure for recording the fuel correctly and entering it into the computer. As a reviewer of the weight and balance, I should have caught the mistake. I, (along with the captain) misread the total fuel column as usable fuel and not as usable and unusable together. We both fell into the trap of seeing on the form what we expected and not what should have been there. To prevent this from happening to someone else, the total fuel column on the weight and balance should be changed to 'total gauge quantity' so that the fuel as read from the gauges is reflected on the form. That would remind the preparer to just enter the quantity from the gauges and not subtract out ballast fuel. It would also remind the reviewers (so and captain) that the 'total column' includes all fuel on the aircraft not just usable fuel. Supplemental information from acn 484160: the ramp agent apparently added the 20000 pounds and the unusable fuel, 10000 pounds and thought the methodology was correct.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC ACCEPTS THE WT AND BAL FUEL FIGURES AS PRODUCED BY OPS WITHOUT REGARD TO THE ACTUAL FUEL REQUIRED FOR THE FLT. ACFT IS OVERFUELED BY 10000 LBS AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE CLB I DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL AS REFLECTED ON THE WT AND BAL WAS INCORRECT. WE ACTUALLY HAD 10000 LBS MORE FUEL THAN WAS RECORDED ON THE WT AND BAL. WE WERE FLYING AN EMPTY ACFT THEREFORE 10000 LBS OF BALLAST FUEL WAS REQUIRED. THAT WAS REFLECTED CORRECTLY ON THE WT AND BAL. THE PREPARER OF THE WT AND BAL INCORRECTLY SUBTRACTED THE USABLE FUEL TWICE ON THE FORM. I FAILED TO CATCH THIS MISTAKE WHEN I PREPARED THE TKOF DATA. ONCE I DISCOVERED THE MISTAKE I NOTIFIED THE CAPT AND RECOMPUTED THE WT AND BAL DATA TO ENSURE WE WERE WITHIN ACFT LIMITS. WE WERE WITHIN LIMITS AND WE CONTINUED ON TO DEST. I BELIEVE THE MISTAKE WAS INITIALLY CAUSED BY THE RAMP OFFICE INCORRECTLY PREPARING THE WT AND BAL. SINCE BALLAST FUEL IS A RELATIVELY RARE OCCURRENCE, THEY OBVIOUSLY DID NOT KNOW THE PROPER PROC FOR RECORDING THE FUEL CORRECTLY AND ENTERING IT INTO THE COMPUTER. AS A REVIEWER OF THE WT AND BAL, I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE MISTAKE. I, (ALONG WITH THE CAPT) MISREAD THE TOTAL FUEL COLUMN AS USABLE FUEL AND NOT AS USABLE AND UNUSABLE TOGETHER. WE BOTH FELL INTO THE TRAP OF SEEING ON THE FORM WHAT WE EXPECTED AND NOT WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE, THE TOTAL FUEL COLUMN ON THE WT AND BAL SHOULD BE CHANGED TO 'TOTAL GAUGE QUANTITY' SO THAT THE FUEL AS READ FROM THE GAUGES IS REFLECTED ON THE FORM. THAT WOULD REMIND THE PREPARER TO JUST ENTER THE QUANTITY FROM THE GAUGES AND NOT SUBTRACT OUT BALLAST FUEL. IT WOULD ALSO REMIND THE REVIEWERS (SO AND CAPT) THAT THE 'TOTAL COLUMN' INCLUDES ALL FUEL ON THE ACFT NOT JUST USABLE FUEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 484160: THE RAMP AGENT APPARENTLY ADDED THE 20000 LBS AND THE UNUSABLE FUEL, 10000 LBS AND THOUGHT THE METHODOLOGY WAS CORRECT.

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.

A B727 flight crew accepts the weight and balance fuel figures as produced by operations without regard to the actual fuel required for the flight. Aircraft is overfueled by 10000 pounds at ZZZ, us.