Air carrier flight departed station with less than required fuel.

Attributes
ACN	110459
Time
Date	198905
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rno
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	110459
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This is a 2-PART problem--one we had no control over and one we did. We (our company) just went over to computer print-outs for fuel burn, reserves, alternate, etc. The old way we used to figure ourselves on the clearance form, and as long as dispatch gave us enough fuel, no conflict. Anyway,now we just look at the form and sign it. Anyway, the captain signs the release for 20000# of fuel, which was more than we needed. In the rush to board and get out of town, we were fueled up to 18500 pounds, which was still enough for legality, but we didn't catch the discrepancy. On climb out, the attendants called us and said they smelled fuel. I went back to the aft cabin, and dad-gum, they were right; there was a very strange smell of jet fuel. So I went back to the cockpit and compared our fuel burned with what we should have and now we were down 3500 pounds from what we should be. We did an immediate 180 degree and headed back to rno. I thrashed through my trash bag and found the fueling slip, and it said 18500 pounds was put on the aircraft instead of 20000#, but that still left 2000# unaccounted for. The end result was a leak in the center wing tank, but the bigger problem was neither the captain nor I compared the refueling slip with what dispatch/the release said. We should have. The only solution I have to the last one is obvious--and when ever new procedures are instituted, be extra careful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that the fuel load on the flight was for either another segment of their trip of for another aircraft. Mistake wasn't caught as fuel slip not thoroughly scrutinized. There was, in reporter's estimate, about 500 pounds of fuel in center tank. The same aircraft was returned to sfo on a ferry flight and inspected. No fuel leak was found. A week later another flight using the same aircraft had the same fuel smell in the rear cabin. Unexplained at this time. Reporter states that he is now comparing fuel loads and slips to dispatch fuel requirements.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT DEPARTED STATION WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED FUEL.

Narrative: THIS IS A 2-PART PROB--ONE WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER AND ONE WE DID. WE (OUR COMPANY) JUST WENT OVER TO COMPUTER PRINT-OUTS FOR FUEL BURN, RESERVES, ALTERNATE, ETC. THE OLD WAY WE USED TO FIGURE OURSELVES ON THE CLRNC FORM, AND AS LONG AS DISPATCH GAVE US ENOUGH FUEL, NO CONFLICT. ANYWAY,NOW WE JUST LOOK AT THE FORM AND SIGN IT. ANYWAY, THE CAPT SIGNS THE RELEASE FOR 20000# OF FUEL, WHICH WAS MORE THAN WE NEEDED. IN THE RUSH TO BOARD AND GET OUT OF TOWN, WE WERE FUELED UP TO 18500 LBS, WHICH WAS STILL ENOUGH FOR LEGALITY, BUT WE DIDN'T CATCH THE DISCREPANCY. ON CLBOUT, THE ATTENDANTS CALLED US AND SAID THEY SMELLED FUEL. I WENT BACK TO THE AFT CABIN, AND DAD-GUM, THEY WERE RIGHT; THERE WAS A VERY STRANGE SMELL OF JET FUEL. SO I WENT BACK TO THE COCKPIT AND COMPARED OUR FUEL BURNED WITH WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE AND NOW WE WERE DOWN 3500 LBS FROM WHAT WE SHOULD BE. WE DID AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG AND HEADED BACK TO RNO. I THRASHED THROUGH MY TRASH BAG AND FOUND THE FUELING SLIP, AND IT SAID 18500 LBS WAS PUT ON THE ACFT INSTEAD OF 20000#, BUT THAT STILL LEFT 2000# UNACCOUNTED FOR. THE END RESULT WAS A LEAK IN THE CENTER WING TANK, BUT THE BIGGER PROB WAS NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I COMPARED THE REFUELING SLIP WITH WHAT DISPATCH/THE RELEASE SAID. WE SHOULD HAVE. THE ONLY SOLUTION I HAVE TO THE LAST ONE IS OBVIOUS--AND WHEN EVER NEW PROCS ARE INSTITUTED, BE EXTRA CAREFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT THE FUEL LOAD ON THE FLT WAS FOR EITHER ANOTHER SEGMENT OF THEIR TRIP OF FOR ANOTHER ACFT. MISTAKE WASN'T CAUGHT AS FUEL SLIP NOT THOROUGHLY SCRUTINIZED. THERE WAS, IN RPTR'S ESTIMATE, ABOUT 500 LBS OF FUEL IN CENTER TANK. THE SAME ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SFO ON A FERRY FLT AND INSPECTED. NO FUEL LEAK WAS FOUND. A WEEK LATER ANOTHER FLT USING THE SAME ACFT HAD THE SAME FUEL SMELL IN THE REAR CABIN. UNEXPLAINED AT THIS TIME. RPTR STATES THAT HE IS NOW COMPARING FUEL LOADS AND SLIPS TO DISPATCH FUEL REQUIREMENTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.