Narrative:

We made a decision to return to mco after determining that insufficient fuel was on board the aircraft to complete the flight with legal IFR reserves. I was assigned on 4/90 as captain on an small transport based out of orl with xyz airlines. Xyz operates under part 135 as a scheduled air carrier in our southern division. We had just returned to orl from daytona beach and we had a scheduled layover in orl of approximately 1 hour. After we had landed and deplaned our passenger, I began to calculate our fuel load for the next segment of our schedule. Our scheduled departure time was PM01, as flight 123 mco-jax. Xyz (referred to as 'company' from now on) uses a historic pay time times a company figure of 10 + 375# for a 45 min reserve plus any alternate fuel if required to figure fuel requirements for each flight. The historic pay time was 57 mins from mco-jax. The fuel required was calculated as follows: 57 X 10 = 570 + 375 = 945. Since I was a new captain, I elected to put some extra fuel on the aircraft. Our load manifest reflected a total of 950# fob at takeoff. As I calculated my fuel I miscalculated my fuel by approximately 200#. Instead of ordering 400#, I only ordered 200#. As flight crews the company requires us to order fuel by the gallon, and the miscalculation arose as I was doing the conversion from # to gals. I monitored the fueling process as required by the operations manual. After they finished fueling the aircraft, I completed the fuel portion of the load manifest, then decided to get something to eat before starting the flight to jax. At approximately PM45 (16 mins prior to departure) we started to board our passenger to go to jax. Once we finished boarding the first officer handed me the completed load manifest and I signed the document. At this point, I did not rechk the fuel gauges. We called for taxi and taxied out of our gate area. The runway assignment was 17, and I called for the before takeoff checklist. As we were doing the checklist we were both distracted by a fox that was on the taxiway in the direction that we were going. As we completed the checklist (there is no place on the checklist that requires us to check the quantity of fuel), we noted what we thought was sufficient fuel to completed the flight, but was less than what we had indicated on the load manifest. We were given takeoff clearance and departed mco. Once we had reached our initial altitude of 1500' I turned the controls over to the first officer, and because he commented on what he thought was insufficient fuel to completed the flight with the necessary IFR, a brief discussion ensued. As a crew we decided that in the interest of safety we would return to mco and rechk our fuel load. Once we arrived to our gate area I was met by our operations supervisor and a fuel truck. We measured the fuel and ordered more fuel knowing we had the payload available. At this point we were going to head back toward jax, but were interrupted by the ground personnel who informed us that our dispatch people wanted to speak with the captain (me). I was told that my first officer and I were removed from our trip pending an investigation. In retrospect I should have remeasured my fuel after they had finished fueling the aircraft during the layover, and I should have also rechked the fuel prior to leaving the gate area. I also should have returned to the gate area as soon as I noticed that the fuel was less than what I had intended for the flight, and the figure that appeared on the manifest. I believe that I made a good decision for the circumstances, and that the 30 day suspension was more than sufficient.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR SMT PIC MAKES A MATH ERROR ON FUEL REQUIRED AND RETURNS TO LAND AS FLT CREW REALIZES THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE TRIP.

Narrative: WE MADE A DECISION TO RETURN TO MCO AFTER DETERMINING THAT INSUFFICIENT FUEL WAS ON BOARD THE ACFT TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITH LEGAL IFR RESERVES. I WAS ASSIGNED ON 4/90 AS CAPT ON AN SMT BASED OUT OF ORL WITH XYZ AIRLINES. XYZ OPERATES UNDER PART 135 AS A SCHEDULED ACR IN OUR SOUTHERN DIVISION. WE HAD JUST RETURNED TO ORL FROM DAYTONA BEACH AND WE HAD A SCHEDULED LAYOVER IN ORL OF APPROX 1 HR. AFTER WE HAD LANDED AND DEPLANED OUR PAX, I BEGAN TO CALCULATE OUR FUEL LOAD FOR THE NEXT SEGMENT OF OUR SCHEDULE. OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME WAS PM01, AS FLT 123 MCO-JAX. XYZ (REFERRED TO AS 'COMPANY' FROM NOW ON) USES A HISTORIC PAY TIME TIMES A COMPANY FIGURE OF 10 + 375# FOR A 45 MIN RESERVE PLUS ANY ALTERNATE FUEL IF REQUIRED TO FIGURE FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH FLT. THE HISTORIC PAY TIME WAS 57 MINS FROM MCO-JAX. THE FUEL REQUIRED WAS CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS: 57 X 10 = 570 + 375 = 945. SINCE I WAS A NEW CAPT, I ELECTED TO PUT SOME EXTRA FUEL ON THE ACFT. OUR LOAD MANIFEST REFLECTED A TOTAL OF 950# FOB AT TKOF. AS I CALCULATED MY FUEL I MISCALCULATED MY FUEL BY APPROX 200#. INSTEAD OF ORDERING 400#, I ONLY ORDERED 200#. AS FLT CREWS THE COMPANY REQUIRES US TO ORDER FUEL BY THE GALLON, AND THE MISCALCULATION AROSE AS I WAS DOING THE CONVERSION FROM # TO GALS. I MONITORED THE FUELING PROCESS AS REQUIRED BY THE OPS MANUAL. AFTER THEY FINISHED FUELING THE ACFT, I COMPLETED THE FUEL PORTION OF THE LOAD MANIFEST, THEN DECIDED TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT BEFORE STARTING THE FLT TO JAX. AT APPROX PM45 (16 MINS PRIOR TO DEP) WE STARTED TO BOARD OUR PAX TO GO TO JAX. ONCE WE FINISHED BOARDING THE F/O HANDED ME THE COMPLETED LOAD MANIFEST AND I SIGNED THE DOCUMENT. AT THIS POINT, I DID NOT RECHK THE FUEL GAUGES. WE CALLED FOR TAXI AND TAXIED OUT OF OUR GATE AREA. THE RWY ASSIGNMENT WAS 17, AND I CALLED FOR THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. AS WE WERE DOING THE CHKLIST WE WERE BOTH DISTRACTED BY A FOX THAT WAS ON THE TXWY IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE WERE GOING. AS WE COMPLETED THE CHKLIST (THERE IS NO PLACE ON THE CHKLIST THAT REQUIRES US TO CHK THE QUANTITY OF FUEL), WE NOTED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETED THE FLT, BUT WAS LESS THAN WHAT WE HAD INDICATED ON THE LOAD MANIFEST. WE WERE GIVEN TKOF CLRNC AND DEPARTED MCO. ONCE WE HAD REACHED OUR INITIAL ALT OF 1500' I TURNED THE CONTROLS OVER TO THE F/O, AND BECAUSE HE COMMENTED ON WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETED THE FLT WITH THE NECESSARY IFR, A BRIEF DISCUSSION ENSUED. AS A CREW WE DECIDED THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY WE WOULD RETURN TO MCO AND RECHK OUR FUEL LOAD. ONCE WE ARRIVED TO OUR GATE AREA I WAS MET BY OUR OPS SUPVR AND A FUEL TRUCK. WE MEASURED THE FUEL AND ORDERED MORE FUEL KNOWING WE HAD THE PAYLOAD AVAILABLE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE GOING TO HEAD BACK TOWARD JAX, BUT WERE INTERRUPTED BY THE GND PERSONNEL WHO INFORMED US THAT OUR DISPATCH PEOPLE WANTED TO SPEAK WITH THE CAPT (ME). I WAS TOLD THAT MY F/O AND I WERE REMOVED FROM OUR TRIP PENDING AN INVESTIGATION. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE REMEASURED MY FUEL AFTER THEY HAD FINISHED FUELING THE ACFT DURING THE LAYOVER, AND I SHOULD HAVE ALSO RECHKED THE FUEL PRIOR TO LEAVING THE GATE AREA. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE AREA AS SOON AS I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL WAS LESS THAN WHAT I HAD INTENDED FOR THE FLT, AND THE FIGURE THAT APPEARED ON THE MANIFEST. I BELIEVE THAT I MADE A GOOD DECISION FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THAT THE 30 DAY SUSPENSION WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT.

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.