<< >> NASA ASRS Report 578262, April 2003

A B727-200 so observed possible discrepancy with landing weight. Captain discovered so burning ballast fuel from #2 tank.

Attributes
ACN	578262
Time
Date	200304
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	578262
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel qty indicator other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Prior to descent into ZZZ, the so thought there was a discrepancy with our calculated landing weight. He brought it up with the captain and myself. We noticed at this point, that he had been burning ballast fuel out of tank #2. The captain directed the so to immediately stop burning fuel from tank #2 to save as much ballast fuel as possible. We then burned fuel only out of tanks #1 and #3 until prior to 1000 ft. The airplane was hand flown through the approach, and no stability problems could be detected. A normal approach and landing was made with no other discrepancies.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 SO OBSERVED POSSIBLE DISCREPANCY WITH LNDG WT. CAPT DISCOVERED SO BURNING BALLAST FUEL FROM #2 TANK.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DSCNT INTO ZZZ, THE SO THOUGHT THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY WITH OUR CALCULATED LNDG WT. HE BROUGHT IT UP WITH THE CAPT AND MYSELF. WE NOTICED AT THIS POINT, THAT HE HAD BEEN BURNING BALLAST FUEL OUT OF TANK #2. THE CAPT DIRECTED THE SO TO IMMEDIATELY STOP BURNING FUEL FROM TANK #2 TO SAVE AS MUCH BALLAST FUEL AS POSSIBLE. WE THEN BURNED FUEL ONLY OUT OF TANKS #1 AND #3 UNTIL PRIOR TO 1000 FT. THE AIRPLANE WAS HAND FLOWN THROUGH THE APCH, AND NO STABILITY PROBS COULD BE DETECTED. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES.

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.