FLC MISCONFIGURED FUEL PANEL DUE TO FLAWED PERFORMANCE OF THE CHKLIST.

Narrative

THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. I STARTED READING IT AND HE RESPONDED WITH THE APPROPRIATE ANSWERS. NORMALLY WHAT I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST WHEN READING THIS CHKLIST IS TO KEEP MY FINGER ON IT AND READ THE 5 ITEMS PERTAINING TO THE OVERHEAD FROM MEMORY; WHILE I LOOK UP AND VERIFIED THAT THE SWITCHES WERE IN THE RIGHT POS. THEN I WOULD LOOK BACK DOWN AT THE CHKLIST TO VERIFY THAT EVERYTHING WAS PROPERLY COVERED. TECHNICALLY SPEAKING; THIS WAS IMPROPER PROC; BUT I GUESS I DID IT THIS WAY FOR SMOOTHER FLOW AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS EFFICIENCY OF TIME. HOWEVER; THE COMPANY HAS RECENTLY STRESSED PRECISE; PROPER USAGE OF THE CHKLISTS. SO; IN AN EFFORT TO COMPLY; I READ THE CHKLIST THIS TIME THROUGH ALL 5 OVERHEAD ITEMS (WITHOUT LOOKING UP TO VERIFY AFTER EACH ITEM); AND THEN LOOKED UP AT THE END OF THESE 5 ITEMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SWITCHES WERE INDEED IN THE PROPER POS AS THE CAPT HAD ANSWERED. THE ONLY PROB WAS I MISSED THE FIRST ITEM - - THE FUEL PANEL. FOR WHATEVER REASON; THE CAPT HAD NOT TURNED ON THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMPS. PROCS STIPULATE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE FUEL IN THE CTR TANK; YOU BURN THAT FUEL FIRST; THEN THE FUEL IN THE MAINS (WINGS). WHEN WE GOT TO CRUISE ALT; THAT IS WHEN THE CAPT DISCOVERED THE PROB. HE TURNED ON THE CTR TANK PUMPS AT THAT TIME; BUT DUE TO THE DURATION OF THE TRIP; THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME LEFT IN THE TRIP TO BURN OFF ALL FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO THEREFORE LAND WITH FUEL IN THE CTR TANK; AND LESS THAN FULL WING TANKS; AS WE USED WING FUEL FOR TKOF; CLB AND INITIAL CRUISE. THIS IS NOT THE RECOMMENDED CONFIGN TO BE IN. POSSIBLY ONE OF THE REASONS THIS HAPPENED WAS THAT WE HAD MUCH MORE FUEL THAN NORMAL FOR THIS TRIP (NORMALLY FUEL IN THE WING TANKS IS ENOUGH). BUT THE COMPANY WAS HAVING US TANKER FUEL I GUESS; DUE TO FUEL COSTS AT DEST. AND BECAUSE OF THIS; PERHAPS THE CAPT DIDN'T ASSOCIATE CTR TANK PUMPS WITH THIS TRIP DURING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. AND HIS FINAL BACKUP; ME; WAS BUSY TRYING TO RESET MY OLD NONSTANDARD WAYS OF DOING THINGS AND I FAILED TO CATCH HIS MISTAKE. MORAL: FOR THE REMAINING 3 DAYS OF THAT TRIP; I READ EACH ITEM INDIVIDUALLY; THEN LOOKED UP TO VERIFY THAT THE ITEM WAS INDEED IN THE PROPER POS; BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE NEXT ITEM. NEEDLESS TO SAY; THIS IS THE WAY I WILL DO IT FROM NOW ON -- THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. LITTLE ANECDOTE: 3 YRS AGO; A CAPT TOLD ME I WAS TOO SLOW READING THE CHKLIST; THAT I WAS SLOWER THAN OTHER FO'S. BEING HIS SAME AGE (EARLY 50'S) AND NOT ONE TO BE INTIMIDATED; WE DISCUSSED IT TILL I ACTUALLY HAD HIM AGREE THAT WAS NOT A CRITERIA FOR BEING A GOOD FO; BUT TO ACCURATELY ACCOMPLISH THE CHKLIST WAS. HOWEVER; IN RETROSPECT; PERHAPS HIS WORDS DID 'STING' A LITTLE AND I STARTED TRYING TO 'SPD' THINGS UP A LITTLE TO COMPLY WITH THE MAJORITY. PERHAPS THIS IS ONE REASON WHY I DEVELOPED THE BAD HABIT ON THE OVERHEAD ITEMS.