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MD80 series was dispatched with an MEL requiring unusable fuel in the center tank. This fuel should have been included in the zero fuel weight; but was not. This resulted in excessive zero fuel weight and overweight landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 779771 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200803 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 779771 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 779772 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Misinterped MEL which caused an overweight (zero fuel weight) landing. Fuel in center tank was not usable and should have been factored into the zero fuel weight. After completing 2 legs in which the company dispatchers showed no problems with weight and balance; a new dispatcher brought the problem to our attention and we decided to de-fuel the center tank to get within operating limits.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD80 SERIES WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN MEL REQUIRING UNUSABLE FUEL IN THE CENTER TANK. THIS FUEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE ZERO FUEL WT; BUT WAS NOT. THIS RESULTED IN EXCESSIVE ZERO FUEL WT AND OVERWEIGHT LNDG.
Narrative: MISINTERPED MEL WHICH CAUSED AN OVERWT (ZERO FUEL WT) LNDG. FUEL IN CTR TANK WAS NOT USABLE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN FACTORED INTO THE ZERO FUEL WT. AFTER COMPLETING 2 LEGS IN WHICH THE COMPANY DISPATCHERS SHOWED NO PROBS WITH WT AND BAL; A NEW DISPATCHER BROUGHT THE PROB TO OUR ATTN AND WE DECIDED TO DE-FUEL THE CTR TANK TO GET WITHIN OPERATING LIMITS.
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.