Narrative:

Aircraft was flight planned to have 500 pounds of fuel in the stabilizer tank. Fueler advised me that he had put all fuel in main and center tanks; and asked if that was ok. I said it was ok at the time and that I would contact fueling if it was a problem. I intended to contact dispatch to advise them of the error; however; forgot to do so due to distrs caused by numerous other preflight events. After takeoff; the first officer stated that the aircraft was very nose heavy for takeoff. I contacted load planning and asked them to rechk the weight and balance. They advised that they used the wrong numbers; and that their procedure was to not check actual fuel loads. I contacted dispatch and advised them of the error; and informed them that I would be submitting a report. This error was my fault due to forgetting to contact dispatch. However; load planning's not checking actual fuel loads is the same as not checking actual passenger or cargo loads. It leaves the system an opening for errors to be made. 500 pounds not in the tail of the aircraft was not a very serious issue; but what if it had been 2000 pounds?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 WAS FLT PLANNED WITH FUEL IN THE STABILIZER TANK. ACFT WAS NOT FUELED AS PLANNED AND FLT CREW SUSPECTED THAT A WT AND BAL PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN CREATED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FLT PLANNED TO HAVE 500 LBS OF FUEL IN THE STABILIZER TANK. FUELER ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD PUT ALL FUEL IN MAIN AND CTR TANKS; AND ASKED IF THAT WAS OK. I SAID IT WAS OK AT THE TIME AND THAT I WOULD CONTACT FUELING IF IT WAS A PROB. I INTENDED TO CONTACT DISPATCH TO ADVISE THEM OF THE ERROR; HOWEVER; FORGOT TO DO SO DUE TO DISTRS CAUSED BY NUMEROUS OTHER PREFLT EVENTS. AFTER TKOF; THE FO STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS VERY NOSE HVY FOR TKOF. I CONTACTED LOAD PLANNING AND ASKED THEM TO RECHK THE WT AND BAL. THEY ADVISED THAT THEY USED THE WRONG NUMBERS; AND THAT THEIR PROC WAS TO NOT CHK ACTUAL FUEL LOADS. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND ADVISED THEM OF THE ERROR; AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WOULD BE SUBMITTING A RPT. THIS ERROR WAS MY FAULT DUE TO FORGETTING TO CONTACT DISPATCH. HOWEVER; LOAD PLANNING'S NOT CHKING ACTUAL FUEL LOADS IS THE SAME AS NOT CHKING ACTUAL PAX OR CARGO LOADS. IT LEAVES THE SYS AN OPENING FOR ERRORS TO BE MADE. 500 LBS NOT IN THE TAIL OF THE ACFT WAS NOT A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE; BUT WHAT IF IT HAD BEEN 2000 LBS?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.