B737-300 CREW HAD A FUEL IMBAL AFTER DEPARTING WITH AN MEL'ED INOP CTR TANK BOOST PUMP.

Narrative

A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE L-HAND CTR FUEL TANK BOOST PUMP INOP; PLUS OTHER MEL ITEMS. PRIOR TO FLT; CREW HAD REVIEWED PLACARD FOR THE INOP L-HAND BOOST PUMP. CLRED FUEL WAS 26.1; THUS USE OF CTR TANK WAS REQUIRED. DISPATCHED FUEL DISTRIBUTION WAS 1 MAIN:10;300; CTR:6240; 2 MAIN:10;220; TOTAL:26790. MEL TOGW WAS 127500 LBS. A 'COUNT' WAS REQUIRED TO COMPLY. PUSHBACK AT XA31. ACFT WAS DEICED OFF GATE WITH TYPE 1. RWY 28L AT CMH WAS REQUIRED DUE TO ACFT TOGW. CREW CALLED FOR TAXI AT APPROX XA45 AND WAS TOLD RWY 28L WAS CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL. ESTIMATED OPEN TIME WAS 15-20 MINS. AT RWY 28L; CREW ACCOMPLISHED ALL CHKLISTS AND AGREED THAT ALL PLACARD ITEMS WERE DONE. FO WAS PF. TKOF AND INITIAL CLB NORMAL. AT APPROX 10000 FT MSL; CAPT OBSERVED 1 MAIN INDICATING 8900; 2 MAIN 10000. THE R-HAND CTR FUEL TANK PUMP SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF; AND MAIN XFEED BEGUN. NORMAL BAL ACHIEVED BY FL200. AT FL330; CREW REVIEWED PROC FOR FUEL PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PROC DIRECTS IF 1 CTR TANK LOW PRESSURE ILLUMINATES TO OPEN XFEED VALVE. OUR L-HAND LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. SWITCH WAS OFF PER MEL. CREW AGREED INTENT OF PROC WAS TO OPEN XFEED VALVE IF PUMP INOP (SWITCH OFF OR ILLUMINATED LOW PRESSURE LIGHT). XFEED OPEN AND FUEL FED NORMALLY OUT OF CTR TANK. MAINT WAS CALLED AND ASKED IF THE 1100 LB IMBAL REQUIRED A LOGBOOK ENTRY. ANSWER NO. CREW AGAIN REVIEWED MEL PLACARD AND FOUND NO DIRECTION TO OPEN XFEED VALVE WITH CTR TANK FUEL; OR TO REF A FLT MANUAL IRREGULAR OR ADDITIONAL PROC FOR AN INOP CTR FUEL BOOST PUMP. OTHER MEL PLACARDS FOR INOP EQUIP DO DIRECT SPECIFIC CREW ACTIONS OR REFER TO THE FLT MANUAL. BOTH CAPT AND FO HAD HAD CONCERNS ABOUT EXACTLY HOW THE FUEL PANEL SHOULD BE CONFIGURED FOR TKOF; BUT DID NOT ARTICULATE THEM TO EACH OTHER DUE TO DISTRS WITH THE DEICE PROCS; MEL PLACARD RESTRS; ETC. RECOMMENDATION: MEL PLACARDS SHOULD BE STAND ALONE DOCUMENTS WITH SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION FOR THE CREW TO FOLLOW IN ALL NON STANDARD CONFIGN SITS.