Narrative:

On the morning of my 6TH day of duty, when reporting for work at XX15 am in mli, completing my last of 3 continuous duty overnights, I was informed by crew scheduling that I was being rerouted upon my arrival into ord. I had had 3-4 hours of restful sleep in the past 24-28 hours and informed then of my fatigue and requested another captain be placed on the trip. I was informed there was no other. Upon reaching ord I was released to lan and fnt which was completed without event. I was then released fnt direct ord and the minimum fuel was 2526 pounds. Fnt operations said that they had called the fuelers and requested 2600 pounds. I returned to the aircraft for departure, ran the appropriate checklists and departed. As we were climbing through 6000', I glanced up at the fuel gauges and observed a quantity considerably less than that required on my release. After questioning my first officer (PF) about a fuel receipt or gals of fuel placed aboard, he didn't have an answer. A call to company confirmed my suspicions at which time I advised ATC that company had asked us to return to fnt, which was the only safe course of action. Upon arrival in fnt, I had the proper fuel load placed on board, contacted my dispatcher, told him what happened and was rereleased and completed the flight without further event. At no time was my aircraft, passenger or crew ever placed in any danger, nor did a critical fuel situation occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TOOK OFF WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL. DISCOVERED ERROR AND RETURNED TO REFUEL.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF MY 6TH DAY OF DUTY, WHEN REPORTING FOR WORK AT XX15 AM IN MLI, COMPLETING MY LAST OF 3 CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHTS, I WAS INFORMED BY CREW SCHEDULING THAT I WAS BEING REROUTED UPON MY ARR INTO ORD. I HAD HAD 3-4 HRS OF RESTFUL SLEEP IN THE PAST 24-28 HRS AND INFORMED THEN OF MY FATIGUE AND REQUESTED ANOTHER CAPT BE PLACED ON THE TRIP. I WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NO OTHER. UPON REACHING ORD I WAS RELEASED TO LAN AND FNT WHICH WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT EVENT. I WAS THEN RELEASED FNT DIRECT ORD AND THE MINIMUM FUEL WAS 2526 LBS. FNT OPERATIONS SAID THAT THEY HAD CALLED THE FUELERS AND REQUESTED 2600 LBS. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT FOR DEP, RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHECKLISTS AND DEPARTED. AS WE WERE CLIMBING THROUGH 6000', I GLANCED UP AT THE FUEL GAUGES AND OBSERVED A QUANTITY CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THAT REQUIRED ON MY RELEASE. AFTER QUESTIONING MY F/O (PF) ABOUT A FUEL RECEIPT OR GALS OF FUEL PLACED ABOARD, HE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER. A CALL TO COMPANY CONFIRMED MY SUSPICIONS AT WHICH TIME I ADVISED ATC THAT COMPANY HAD ASKED US TO RETURN TO FNT, WHICH WAS THE ONLY SAFE COURSE OF ACTION. UPON ARR IN FNT, I HAD THE PROPER FUEL LOAD PLACED ON BOARD, CONTACTED MY DISPATCHER, TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND WAS RERELEASED AND COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. AT NO TIME WAS MY ACFT, PAX OR CREW EVER PLACED IN ANY DANGER, NOR DID A CRITICAL FUEL SITUATION OCCUR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.