Narrative:

Improper fuel required for flight. The captain told me to fuel the aircraft to 1400 pounds for a flight from clt to mcn. I ordered the fuel and it was put on. When he returned I asked him how the WX was in mcn. He said, 'fine.' I took this to mean we had enough fuel for the trip. I did not know whether it was IFR or VFR, but assumed ok. It is not our policy to have the first officer check WX and find alternates. If asked, I will do so. I am typed in the same aircraft and was a captain, so I know its range, etc. The fuel seemed lower than I would have carried as captain, but again I didn't assume the WX was bad. We departed out of clt direct greenwood direct mcn. En route I watched the fuel. This captain has a habit of carrying minimum fuel all the time regardless of passenger load--a bad habit. The aircraft burns 600 pounds an hour; i.e., 1400 pounds = 2 hours, 20 mins in cruise(!), not climb, taxi, etc. The exact amount of takeoff fuel may be even lower--I'm not sure. We were about 50 mi out of mcn when captain, listening to ATIS, said, 'oh shit!' I tuned ATIS and it was overcast 1/16 and 800' RVR. At this time our fuel was 500-600 pounds. He didn't seem too concerned about the situation, but I was! We approached mcn VOR and wanted to hold! I said this wouldn't work and asked him how far ags or AGL was. He said, 'about the same.' I told him, 'we better go to ags now--we don't have time to screw around,' and I started a turn toward ags. At this point I felt he was trying to cover his ass and I would have nothing to do with it, so I diverted immediately toward ags. He told the controller we were heading there. I was very concerned at this point and even wanted to land at milledgeville, 15 mi away, but he said, 'no, we have enough fuel.' I asked how far it was in mins. He said 25-30 mins--about 90 mi, I figured. We had about 40 mins fuel on board. En route 1 low fuel came on (200 # or 20 mins) when we had about 15-20 mins to go. He finally declared to ags approach, 'minimum fuel.' we landed at ags and he still insisted that there was plenty of fuel. When we put fuel on I estimated we had 8-10 mins of fuel left at cruise power--more likely 5 mins power up! I feel he realized his mistake and tried to continue instead of diverting earlier, causing a life threatening situation to occur. He probably has 4000-5000 hours in this type of aircraft. I feel as a copilot you are to trust a captain and assume he is competent. If I had known of the WX, I would never have taken off with such low fuel, but my duties as an first officer do not include making his decisions about alternates or fuel on board. I later found out he had planned the flight VFR fuel, but never told me. As first officer, when he said WX was fine in mcn, I assumed 'fine' meant enough fuel to destination and alternate + 45 mins, which may have been possible since I did not know his alternate, which may have been legal, if he had one!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT HAS INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR AN ALTERNATE. ENROUTE, THE DESTINATION WX GOES BELOW MINIMUMS. MINIMUM FUEL DECLARED.

Narrative: IMPROPER FUEL REQUIRED FOR FLT. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO FUEL THE ACFT TO 1400 LBS FOR A FLT FROM CLT TO MCN. I ORDERED THE FUEL AND IT WAS PUT ON. WHEN HE RETURNED I ASKED HIM HOW THE WX WAS IN MCN. HE SAID, 'FINE.' I TOOK THIS TO MEAN WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE TRIP. I DID NOT KNOW WHETHER IT WAS IFR OR VFR, BUT ASSUMED OK. IT IS NOT OUR POLICY TO HAVE THE F/O CHK WX AND FIND ALTERNATES. IF ASKED, I WILL DO SO. I AM TYPED IN THE SAME ACFT AND WAS A CAPT, SO I KNOW ITS RANGE, ETC. THE FUEL SEEMED LOWER THAN I WOULD HAVE CARRIED AS CAPT, BUT AGAIN I DIDN'T ASSUME THE WX WAS BAD. WE DEPARTED OUT OF CLT DIRECT GREENWOOD DIRECT MCN. ENRTE I WATCHED THE FUEL. THIS CAPT HAS A HABIT OF CARRYING MINIMUM FUEL ALL THE TIME REGARDLESS OF PAX LOAD--A BAD HABIT. THE ACFT BURNS 600 LBS AN HR; I.E., 1400 LBS = 2 HRS, 20 MINS IN CRUISE(!), NOT CLB, TAXI, ETC. THE EXACT AMOUNT OF TKOF FUEL MAY BE EVEN LOWER--I'M NOT SURE. WE WERE ABOUT 50 MI OUT OF MCN WHEN CAPT, LISTENING TO ATIS, SAID, 'OH SHIT!' I TUNED ATIS AND IT WAS OVCST 1/16 AND 800' RVR. AT THIS TIME OUR FUEL WAS 500-600 LBS. HE DIDN'T SEEM TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIT, BUT I WAS! WE APCHED MCN VOR AND WANTED TO HOLD! I SAID THIS WOULDN'T WORK AND ASKED HIM HOW FAR AGS OR AGL WAS. HE SAID, 'ABOUT THE SAME.' I TOLD HIM, 'WE BETTER GO TO AGS NOW--WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO SCREW AROUND,' AND I STARTED A TURN TOWARD AGS. AT THIS POINT I FELT HE WAS TRYING TO COVER HIS ASS AND I WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, SO I DIVERTED IMMEDIATELY TOWARD AGS. HE TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE HDG THERE. I WAS VERY CONCERNED AT THIS POINT AND EVEN WANTED TO LAND AT MILLEDGEVILLE, 15 MI AWAY, BUT HE SAID, 'NO, WE HAVE ENOUGH FUEL.' I ASKED HOW FAR IT WAS IN MINS. HE SAID 25-30 MINS--ABOUT 90 MI, I FIGURED. WE HAD ABOUT 40 MINS FUEL ON BOARD. ENRTE 1 LOW FUEL CAME ON (200 # OR 20 MINS) WHEN WE HAD ABOUT 15-20 MINS TO GO. HE FINALLY DECLARED TO AGS APCH, 'MINIMUM FUEL.' WE LANDED AT AGS AND HE STILL INSISTED THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF FUEL. WHEN WE PUT FUEL ON I ESTIMATED WE HAD 8-10 MINS OF FUEL LEFT AT CRUISE PWR--MORE LIKELY 5 MINS PWR UP! I FEEL HE REALIZED HIS MISTAKE AND TRIED TO CONTINUE INSTEAD OF DIVERTING EARLIER, CAUSING A LIFE THREATENING SIT TO OCCUR. HE PROBABLY HAS 4000-5000 HRS IN THIS TYPE OF ACFT. I FEEL AS A COPLT YOU ARE TO TRUST A CAPT AND ASSUME HE IS COMPETENT. IF I HAD KNOWN OF THE WX, I WOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN OFF WITH SUCH LOW FUEL, BUT MY DUTIES AS AN F/O DO NOT INCLUDE MAKING HIS DECISIONS ABOUT ALTERNATES OR FUEL ON BOARD. I LATER FOUND OUT HE HAD PLANNED THE FLT VFR FUEL, BUT NEVER TOLD ME. AS F/O, WHEN HE SAID WX WAS FINE IN MCN, I ASSUMED 'FINE' MEANT ENOUGH FUEL TO DEST AND ALTERNATE + 45 MINS, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE SINCE I DID NOT KNOW HIS ALTERNATE, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN LEGAL, IF HE HAD ONE!

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.