<< >> NASA ASRS Report 81922, February 1988

Air carrier large transport departure ord with 5000 pounds more fuel than was indicated on the weight and balance. Maintenance saw the differential before departure but thought there was an inoperative fuel totalizer.

Attributes
ACN	81922
Time
Date	198802
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	81922
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight was fueled with 5000 pounds fuel in aft auxiliary fuel tank. Gauge did not show it and we didn't catch the fact that it was fueled. On takeoff gross weight was 6000 pounds below maximum structural so no problem on takeoff or over gross landing problem. But fuel is required to be burned out first after takeoff. Since we didn't realize it was in aircraft we didn't and with a zero quantity indication, someone could have gotten this aircraft and been 5000 pounds heavier than planned if no one caught inoperative gauge. We caught it on next leg due to incorrect totalizer reading. By 5000 pounds maintenance deferred totalizer thinking it was out of caliber due to 5000 pounds discrepancy of gauges.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEP ORD WITH 5000 POUNDS MORE FUEL THAN WAS INDICATED ON THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE. MAINTENANCE SAW THE DIFFERENTIAL BEFORE DEP BUT THOUGHT THERE WAS AN INOPERATIVE FUEL TOTALIZER.

Narrative: FLT WAS FUELED WITH 5000 LBS FUEL IN AFT AUX FUEL TANK. GAUGE DID NOT SHOW IT AND WE DIDN'T CATCH THE FACT THAT IT WAS FUELED. ON TKOF GROSS WEIGHT WAS 6000 LBS BELOW MAX STRUCTURAL SO NO PROB ON TKOF OR OVER GROSS LNDG PROB. BUT FUEL IS REQUIRED TO BE BURNED OUT FIRST AFTER TKOF. SINCE WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS IN ACFT WE DIDN'T AND WITH A ZERO QUANTITY INDICATION, SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THIS ACFT AND BEEN 5000 LBS HEAVIER THAN PLANNED IF NO ONE CAUGHT INOP GAUGE. WE CAUGHT IT ON NEXT LEG DUE TO INCORRECT TOTALIZER READING. BY 5000 LBS MAINT DEFERRED TOTALIZER THINKING IT WAS OUT OF CALIBER DUE TO 5000 LBS DISCREPANCY OF GAUGES.

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