A B737-800 captain reports confusing and contradictory operating information regarding the airworthi...

Attributes
ACN	561738
Time
Date	200210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	561738
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft FAA
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Situations
Publication	B737-800 OPS MANUAL

Narrative:

Very early departure and read supplemental operating procedure and the airworthiness directive but was confused by the supplemental operating procedure because it seemed contradictory. Fuelers put 1000 pounds in center tank and the fuel slip still showed standard fuel load even though wing tanks were not full. When I called load folks after I landed from the second leg, they said that with that fuel load it was still supposed to say standard and that the load computer logarithms had been changed even though none of our manuals or the supplemental operating procedure indicated this. I read the supplemental operating procedure and could have sworn it said I could burn the center tank fuel in cruise, so that is what I did. After reading it a fourth time, I realized I read it wrong. I was told it was usable so I used it. The bullet #4 on the supplemental operating procedure states that if there is no requirement to operate center pumps you do not need center fuel, but we still received it. We did not have full wing tanks so there was no need to operate the center pumps under the circumstances.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 CAPT RPTS CONFUSING AND CONTRADICTORY OPERATING INFO REGARDING THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE PROC TO MAINTAIN 1000 LBS OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK.

Narrative: VERY EARLY DEP AND READ SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING PROC AND THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE BUT WAS CONFUSED BY THE SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING PROC BECAUSE IT SEEMED CONTRADICTORY. FUELERS PUT 1000 LBS IN CTR TANK AND THE FUEL SLIP STILL SHOWED STANDARD FUEL LOAD EVEN THOUGH WING TANKS WERE NOT FULL. WHEN I CALLED LOAD FOLKS AFTER I LANDED FROM THE SECOND LEG, THEY SAID THAT WITH THAT FUEL LOAD IT WAS STILL SUPPOSED TO SAY STANDARD AND THAT THE LOAD COMPUTER LOGARITHMS HAD BEEN CHANGED EVEN THOUGH NONE OF OUR MANUALS OR THE SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING PROC INDICATED THIS. I READ THE SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING PROC AND COULD HAVE SWORN IT SAID I COULD BURN THE CTR TANK FUEL IN CRUISE, SO THAT IS WHAT I DID. AFTER READING IT A FOURTH TIME, I REALIZED I READ IT WRONG. I WAS TOLD IT WAS USABLE SO I USED IT. THE BULLET #4 ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING PROC STATES THAT IF THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO OPERATE CTR PUMPS YOU DO NOT NEED CTR FUEL, BUT WE STILL RECEIVED IT. WE DID NOT HAVE FULL WING TANKS SO THERE WAS NO NEED TO OPERATE THE CTR PUMPS UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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 B737-800 captain reports confusing and contradictory operating information regarding the airworthiness directive procedure to maintain 1000 pounds of fuel in the center tank.