Narrative:

Operations agent called and advised that the airplane had been refueled using the pressure defueling/refueling system with the system deferred with MEL 28-06 active. It was further determined that according to the fueler there was no placard affixed adjacent the refueling panel required by the MEL. Captain was not present during refueling to ensure the overwing process had been used. Instead; the fueler advised operations agent that the airplane did not need to be refueled using the overwing procedures. The dispatcher feels the reason this event occurred was due to the missing placard adjacent the refueling panel alerting fueler not to use pressure defueling/refueling system. Inadequate procedures for determining refueling method by crew member(south) when aircraft is refueled before crew arrives planeside -- especially when required refueling panel placard is missing. Operations agent called to advise dispatcher that this event had occurred after had been told by fueling employee that this airplane did not need to be refueled using the overwing gravity procedures. Dispatcher contacted captain via ACARS once the event was known to have occurred (phone call from operations agent to clarify the chain of events up until that point). Dispatcher advised captain to call dispatch on land line to ensure required placarding had accomplished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB135 WITH PRESSURE FUELING SYS DEFERRED AS INOP WAS FUELED USING THE PRESSURE FUELING SYS DUE TO NO INOP PLACARD ON FUELING PANEL.

Narrative: OPS AGENT CALLED AND ADVISED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN REFUELED USING THE PRESSURE DEFUELING/REFUELING SYS WITH THE SYS DEFERRED WITH MEL 28-06 ACTIVE. IT WAS FURTHER DETERMINED THAT ACCORDING TO THE FUELER THERE WAS NO PLACARD AFFIXED ADJACENT THE REFUELING PANEL REQUIRED BY THE MEL. CAPT WAS NOT PRESENT DURING REFUELING TO ENSURE THE OVERWING PROCESS HAD BEEN USED. INSTEAD; THE FUELER ADVISED OPS AGENT THAT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT NEED TO BE REFUELED USING THE OVERWING PROCS. THE DISPATCHER FEELS THE REASON THIS EVENT OCCURRED WAS DUE TO THE MISSING PLACARD ADJACENT THE REFUELING PANEL ALERTING FUELER NOT TO USE PRESSURE DEFUELING/REFUELING SYS. INADEQUATE PROCS FOR DETERMINING REFUELING METHOD BY CREW MEMBER(S) WHEN ACFT IS REFUELED BEFORE CREW ARRIVES PLANESIDE -- ESPECIALLY WHEN REQUIRED REFUELING PANEL PLACARD IS MISSING. OPS AGENT CALLED TO ADVISE DISPATCHER THAT THIS EVENT HAD OCCURRED AFTER HAD BEEN TOLD BY FUELING EMPLOYEE THAT THIS AIRPLANE DID NOT NEED TO BE REFUELED USING THE OVERWING GRAVITY PROCS. DISPATCHER CONTACTED CAPT VIA ACARS ONCE THE EVENT WAS KNOWN TO HAVE OCCURRED (PHONE CALL FROM OPS AGENT TO CLARIFY THE CHAIN OF EVENTS UP UNTIL THAT POINT). DISPATCHER ADVISED CAPT TO CALL DISPATCH ON LAND LINE TO ENSURE REQUIRED PLACARDING HAD ACCOMPLISHED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.