It will take some time until I get to my type rating. I work in load sheet department right now and we had a problematic situation today so I was curious. I though exactly the same you wrote me (at least if I understood that right) but there were obviously other opinions.
Let's asume we have A319 on short flight. However there is something wrong with center fuel tank. There is fuel trapped there and it can not be used. According to captain there is 1000 kg in trapped in center tank and total block fuel with this trapped fuel included is 6000 kg. Which means 5000 kg fuel in wings and 1000 kg in center tank. I think this is reported because of something what we call non standard fuel distribution. Normaly, there would be nothing in center tank with 6000 kg of fuel and CG would be a bit different. That is how I imagine it works.
And now there is a plot twist. ZFW is basic weight, crew, pantry (catering) and PAX, bags, cargo. I think we all can agree on that. However in this case someone has the idea to add that 1000 kg of fuel to this ZFW. ZFW is now higher by that part of fuel. To have correct TOW they lower block fuel by 1000 kg. So TOW is correct. But there is a shift in fuel and ZFW. So crew gets the load sheet and now if I understand that correctly they put the increased ZFW (because they do not know it is somehow changed) to FMS and then all the block fuel is added by FMS. That means that ZFW is higer by 1000 kg and TOW is higher by 1000 kg. At least in FMS. When they compare it with load sheet there must be 1000 kg discrepancy. Is this what would happen or is there something I do not understand?
Or is there a possibility to input something else than ZFW? Eg. Manual input of TOW and fuel regardless of what is measuring aircraft fuel system?
Last edited by Rarife; 28th January 2020 at 18:46.
Reason: added things