Flight returned to gate after it was discovered that required fuel was not on board aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	117341
Time
Date	198907
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sce
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1950 flight time type : 75
ASRS Report	117341
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

As a first officer, one of my first duties as I arrive at the airport is to determine the amount of fuel on board the aircraft. This is done by visually inspecting the fuel gauges in the cockpit. I did this and determined we had 1000 pounds of fuel aboard. After noting the fuel amount, I went inside of operations where the captain was located and told him we had 1000 pounds on board. He decided to add 400 pounds to bring the total to 1400 pounds. He then called the FBO that handles our fueling and gave them the fuel order. We had about a 10 minute wait before departing so we stayed inside talking. A couple of minutes before passenger loading we went out to the plane. As we were inside of operations we did not notice that the fuelers had forgot to fuel the plane. I am not sure if the captain did the before start checklist (there is a before start checklist but most capts appear to do it from memory), but he did not notice that we still had only 1000 pounds of fuel. We boarded, started engines, and taxied out of the gate. I started the before takeoff checklist and on the item fuel quantity/caps the captain noticed we had only 1000 pounds. At this point we just did a 180 and returned to the gate for more fuel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT RETURNED TO GATE AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT REQUIRED FUEL WAS NOT ON BOARD ACFT.

Narrative: AS A F/O, ONE OF MY FIRST DUTIES AS I ARRIVE AT THE ARPT IS TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD THE ACFT. THIS IS DONE BY VISUALLY INSPECTING THE FUEL GAUGES IN THE COCKPIT. I DID THIS AND DETERMINED WE HAD 1000 LBS OF FUEL ABOARD. AFTER NOTING THE FUEL AMOUNT, I WENT INSIDE OF OPERATIONS WHERE THE CAPT WAS LOCATED AND TOLD HIM WE HAD 1000 LBS ON BOARD. HE DECIDED TO ADD 400 LBS TO BRING THE TOTAL TO 1400 LBS. HE THEN CALLED THE FBO THAT HANDLES OUR FUELING AND GAVE THEM THE FUEL ORDER. WE HAD ABOUT A 10 MINUTE WAIT BEFORE DEPARTING SO WE STAYED INSIDE TALKING. A COUPLE OF MINUTES BEFORE PAX LOADING WE WENT OUT TO THE PLANE. AS WE WERE INSIDE OF OPERATIONS WE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE FUELERS HAD FORGOT TO FUEL THE PLANE. I AM NOT SURE IF THE CAPT DID THE BEFORE START CHECKLIST (THERE IS A BEFORE START CHECKLIST BUT MOST CAPTS APPEAR TO DO IT FROM MEMORY), BUT HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT WE STILL HAD ONLY 1000 LBS OF FUEL. WE BOARDED, STARTED ENGINES, AND TAXIED OUT OF THE GATE. I STARTED THE BEFORE TKOF CHECKLIST AND ON THE ITEM FUEL QUANTITY/CAPS THE CAPT NOTICED WE HAD ONLY 1000 LBS. AT THIS POINT WE JUST DID A 180 AND RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MORE FUEL.

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.