Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 85; Flight Crew Total 13000; Flight Crew Type 3000
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Time Pressure; Workload; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; General Declared Emergency; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
Aircraft [was] given to us with the Number 2 Center tank pump inoperative; MEL 2821D. Center tank fuel is structural so the fuel weight in the center tank had to be added to zero fuel weight per the Flight Operations Manager. I contacted Dispatch to ensure that Load Planning had accomplished this task. The Dispatcher told me that he was 'just coming on shift and that he was sure a note had been passed to Load Planning to accomplish the added center tank fuel to the ZFW. I asked him to check personally and to ACARS me the fact that this had been accomplished. I then went back to the gate to begin preparing aircraft for pushback and subsequent flight. I received ACARS message confirming that Center Tank fuel had been added to ZFW. Fueler came into cockpit with fuel sheet and stated that there was fuel dripping from the right wing. First Officer said that no fuel was leaking when he accomplished his walk around. I sent the First Officer out to check and he notified me that fuel was streaming from the right air scoop. I directed the flight attendants to deplane passengers and coordinated with Customer Service. We shut down the APU and by this time; the Fire Department had responded. Not sure who called Fire Department out. Maintenance was notified and contract Maintenance was sent to our aircraft. It was decided to transfer right wing fuel to the center tank. Contract Maintenance notified me that the over pressure light was illuminated for the right wing. Aircraft fuel leak stopped when approximately 500 LBS of fuel was transferred to the center tank. I updated Dispatcher with the new center tank fuel amount. Passengers were reboarded and I was told that two or three people had chosen to go on other airlines or were not going. No extra cargo added and no additional fuel added. Approximately 200-300 LBS of fuel burned from APU plus whatever fuel had leaked out of the wing. Customer Service closed the doors. Moved the jetway back and then returned the jetway to the aircraft. I opened my sliding window and was told by Customer Service that he was being told we were overweight. I contacted Dispatch and asked him to check with Load Planning because we had only reduced our gross weight and we were OK to Dispatch before the fuel leak and now we weren't. Dispatcher told me that 'I'm kinda working a lot of issues and don't know if I can help you right now.' I told him to find someone in Dispatch that would help me and to start with his Supervisor as I had a plane full of passengers. Dispatcher then enlisted a couple of Dispatchers to talk to Load Planning on his behalf and he continued to help us. He then requested a passenger count; our cargo pit load of bags; cargo and mail. We gave him all the requested information and we were finally told we had to reduce our gross weight by 68 LBS. Our performance data for takeoff Runway 24L always showed us well under Structural limits. Takeoff was normal. My only other item of interest is that it was difficult to contact Dispatch through a land line phone. I could not use the phone system in the station's Flight Planning area to contact Dispatch and I had to use my personal cell phone; and it took us over 20 minutes to contact Dispatch via an airborne VHF frequency.
An air carrier aircraft's #2 Center Fuel Tank pump MEL'ed fuel was part of the ZFW but; after an over board vent fuel leak; Load Planning decided the aircraft was overweight. Dispatch was reluctant to help because of workloads.