MD80 CREW HAD CONFUSION ON HOW TO HANDLE BALLAST FUEL. THE ACR OPERATING MANUALS DID NOT CLARIFY THE ISSUE.

Narrative

SAW BALLAST FUEL INFO ON TKOF PERFORMANCE SETTINGS. IT HAD BEEN MANY YRS SINCE I HAD FLOWN WITH BALLAST FUEL. ONCE IN COCKPIT; FO AND I DOVE INTO OPS MANUAL VOLUME I NORMAL AND SYS TO REVIEW AND UNDERSTAND HOW FUEL IS ALLOCATED ON THE TKOF PERFORMANCE SETTINGS VERSUS CLOSEOUT; AS WELL AS PLACARDING AND FUEL MGMNT PROCS. WE DID ALL THOSE RIGHT. NORMAL (STARTING UNDER FUEL PANEL) QUANTITY SAYS 'CONFIRM THAT THE TOTAL FUEL REQUIRED BY THE DISPATCH RELEASE IS ONBOARD AND DISTRIBUTED PROPERLY.' THAT IS HOW IT HAS BEEN DONE IN MY 14 YRS AT ACR X. WE DID THAT CHK ITEM RIGHT ALSO. BEGAN TAXI AND SAW TKOF OPERATING WEIGHT ABOUT 2600 LBS MORE THAN MY GROSS WT GAUGE. PULLED OFF; PARKED BRAKE; TURNED ON THE COCKPIT LIGHTS; AND PULLED OUT THE BOOKS. SENT UPDATED FUEL; GOT NEW CLOSEOUT. IT SHOWED ONLY A PLANNED FUEL WT OF 25594 LBS -- NOT OUR ACTUAL 23000 LBS. CHKED THE TKOF PERFORMANCE SETTINGS FOR HIGHER CLOSEOUT TKOF OPERATING WEIGHT -- VERIFIED OK. REREAD SEVERAL OPS MANUAL VOLUME I SECTIONS COVERING BALLAST FUEL. CHKED OK; TOOK OFF. LATER; IN CRUISE; WAS STILL BOTHERED AND CHKED AGAIN. SYS X LAST LINE; 'RELEASE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE BALLAST FUEL WT.' WE HAD NOT SEEN THAT EARLIER DURING 2 READINGS. LATER TALKED TO BOTH MY DISPATCHER AND A LEAD LOAD AGENT. I WAS UNDER FUELED AND DIDN'T KNOW IT. TURNS OUT; A SIMILAR PROB HAPPENED THE NIGHT BEFORE ON THE SAME FLT. SUGGESTION: PUT A NOTE ON THE FLT PLAN UNDER REMARKS: 'CAPT; YOU NEED 3000 MORE LBS FOR BALLAST THAN THE FUEL ON THIS RELEASE.' PROB ALSO WITH THE FUELER IN PVD. MY RELEASE SHOWED FUELED TO 23600 LBS; FUEL SLIP PROBABLY READ 26154 LBS. ALSO; I COULD HAVE USED A DIRECT ACARS MESSAGE FROM LOADS PRIOR TO INDICATING THAT I WAS SHORT FUEL. BY THE WAY; LOAD PLANNING RAN THE NUMBERS AND THERE WAS NO PROB IN THIS CASE. I HAVE SINCE SEEN THE EXCELLENT SECTION IN PERFORMANCE/LOADING.