Narrative:

On taxi to runway 27L we noticed an EICAS message indicating the center right fuel boost pump was inoperative. We notified ground that we would need to park the aircraft and discuss this with our maintenance. After a short time in discussion with maintenance, we brought dispatch into the discussion. We considered the possibility of not being able to xfer the fuel and that we would know this well before coasting out over the atlantic ocean. After looking at the flight manual and considering all that maintenance and dispatch had to add, we understood that we could depart after receiving the MEL placarded information. We waited for the information over the ACARS and read the constraints associated with the boost pump switches. This indicated that we were good to go. We then took off on runway 27L. After a few mins, we received a call from dispatch informing us of the illegal dispatch. After this event, we are submitting a list of considerations to be placed in the flight manual under this irregularity. I am not certain that this will be added, however, I will have it as part of my own book of things to consider. Supplemental information from acn 519303: right override pump circuit breaker popped while taxiing. Called maintenance on sat. He said we could not reset. He got dispatch on the line and we began discussing deferral options. We missed the requirement that actual zero fuel weight plus center fuel must be less than maximum zero fuel weight. We were called on takeoff roll as someone caught the mistake but too late to stop. We were 7000 pounds over the maximum zero fuel weight with the center fuel added. Good CRM other than no one caught the missed requirement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767ER FLT DEPARTS WITH AN ILLEGAL FUEL DISTRIBUTION PROB WHEN THE R CTR TANK BOOST PUMP IS MEL'ED AFTER LEAVING THE GATE FOR AN EXTENDED OVERWATER OP AT LHR.

Narrative: ON TAXI TO RWY 27L WE NOTICED AN EICAS MESSAGE INDICATING THE CTR R FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS INOP. WE NOTIFIED GND THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PARK THE ACFT AND DISCUSS THIS WITH OUR MAINT. AFTER A SHORT TIME IN DISCUSSION WITH MAINT, WE BROUGHT DISPATCH INTO THE DISCUSSION. WE CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO XFER THE FUEL AND THAT WE WOULD KNOW THIS WELL BEFORE COASTING OUT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. AFTER LOOKING AT THE FLT MANUAL AND CONSIDERING ALL THAT MAINT AND DISPATCH HAD TO ADD, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE COULD DEPART AFTER RECEIVING THE MEL PLACARDED INFO. WE WAITED FOR THE INFO OVER THE ACARS AND READ THE CONSTRAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOOST PUMP SWITCHES. THIS INDICATED THAT WE WERE GOOD TO GO. WE THEN TOOK OFF ON RWY 27L. AFTER A FEW MINS, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM DISPATCH INFORMING US OF THE ILLEGAL DISPATCH. AFTER THIS EVENT, WE ARE SUBMITTING A LIST OF CONSIDERATIONS TO BE PLACED IN THE FLT MANUAL UNDER THIS IRREGULARITY. I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT THIS WILL BE ADDED, HOWEVER, I WILL HAVE IT AS PART OF MY OWN BOOK OF THINGS TO CONSIDER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 519303: R OVERRIDE PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED WHILE TAXIING. CALLED MAINT ON SAT. HE SAID WE COULD NOT RESET. HE GOT DISPATCH ON THE LINE AND WE BEGAN DISCUSSING DEFERRAL OPTIONS. WE MISSED THE REQUIREMENT THAT ACTUAL ZERO FUEL WT PLUS CTR FUEL MUST BE LESS THAN MAX ZERO FUEL WT. WE WERE CALLED ON TKOF ROLL AS SOMEONE CAUGHT THE MISTAKE BUT TOO LATE TO STOP. WE WERE 7000 LBS OVER THE MAX ZERO FUEL WT WITH THE CTR FUEL ADDED. GOOD CRM OTHER THAN NO ONE CAUGHT THE MISSED REQUIREMENT.

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.