Narrative:

Upon arriving at the boarding counter in pvd, I found an amended release waiting. The amendment stated 'mbs alternate for dtw increase fuel.' the release was signed and the WX was reviewed. Flight control issued a further amendment because of deteriorating conditions in mbs and dtw and the amendment made pit the alternate and increased our fuel to 19200 pounds from 18200 pounds. This further amendment was not passed to the crew and I signed no further amended release. I was given the 'final' paperwork which includes last min WX reports and forecasts at the boarding counter and here I made my first error; I didn't review the 'final' WX since I just got through reviewing the normal package (usually 1-2 hours old). I still don't know if mbs was a viable alternate at this time (it could have been). During preflight the fuel on board matched the release I signed. After push back we received a weight advice over ACARS and it showed fuel loaded 18.8. We had 18.6 (18800 pounds versus 18600 pounds). A needle width on the medium large transport is 200 pounds so here I made my second mistake. Fuel on the weight advice is takeoff fuel and does not include taxi fuel. If I'd added taxi fuel to the weight advice fuel I'd have noticed a 600 pound error. We could have stopped now and gotten more fuel but neither I nor the first officer noticed the difference. We took off maybe without a proper alternate, an improper weight advice and a release we thought was valid but had been amended. The flight was uneventful and we landed with sufficient reserves to reach pit and FAA min, in dtw. The controller (dispatcher) brought this to our attention when we were airborne via ACARS and further amended the release to insure legality. One contributing factor is this airlines' practice of presenting the flight papers at the gate and final papers at departure time. 'Here's the final papers I'm closing the door!' at the gate there is no place to situation down and review the information. In the future I will make an effort to review all pertinent data, developing procedures that will insure compliance with all FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF MLG FAILS TO REVIEW FINAL COMPANY WX AND ALTERNATE INFO, DEPARTS PVD WITHOUT ENOUGH FUEL RESERVE.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT THE BOARDING COUNTER IN PVD, I FOUND AN AMENDED RELEASE WAITING. THE AMENDMENT STATED 'MBS ALTERNATE FOR DTW INCREASE FUEL.' THE RELEASE WAS SIGNED AND THE WX WAS REVIEWED. FLT CTL ISSUED A FURTHER AMENDMENT BECAUSE OF DETERIORATING CONDITIONS IN MBS AND DTW AND THE AMENDMENT MADE PIT THE ALTERNATE AND INCREASED OUR FUEL TO 19200 POUNDS FROM 18200 POUNDS. THIS FURTHER AMENDMENT WAS NOT PASSED TO THE CREW AND I SIGNED NO FURTHER AMENDED RELEASE. I WAS GIVEN THE 'FINAL' PAPERWORK WHICH INCLUDES LAST MIN WX RPTS AND FORECASTS AT THE BOARDING COUNTER AND HERE I MADE MY FIRST ERROR; I DIDN'T REVIEW THE 'FINAL' WX SINCE I JUST GOT THROUGH REVIEWING THE NORMAL PACKAGE (USUALLY 1-2 HRS OLD). I STILL DON'T KNOW IF MBS WAS A VIABLE ALTERNATE AT THIS TIME (IT COULD HAVE BEEN). DURING PREFLT THE FUEL ON BOARD MATCHED THE RELEASE I SIGNED. AFTER PUSH BACK WE RECEIVED A WT ADVICE OVER ACARS AND IT SHOWED FUEL LOADED 18.8. WE HAD 18.6 (18800 POUNDS VERSUS 18600 POUNDS). A NEEDLE WIDTH ON THE MLG IS 200 POUNDS SO HERE I MADE MY SECOND MISTAKE. FUEL ON THE WT ADVICE IS TKOF FUEL AND DOES NOT INCLUDE TAXI FUEL. IF I'D ADDED TAXI FUEL TO THE WT ADVICE FUEL I'D HAVE NOTICED A 600 POUND ERROR. WE COULD HAVE STOPPED NOW AND GOTTEN MORE FUEL BUT NEITHER I NOR THE FO NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE. WE TOOK OFF MAYBE WITHOUT A PROPER ALTERNATE, AN IMPROPER WT ADVICE AND A RELEASE WE THOUGHT WAS VALID BUT HAD BEEN AMENDED. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE LANDED WITH SUFFICIENT RESERVES TO REACH PIT AND FAA MIN, IN DTW. THE CTLR (DISPATCHER) BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTN WHEN WE WERE AIRBORNE VIA ACARS AND FURTHER AMENDED THE RELEASE TO INSURE LEGALITY. ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THIS AIRLINES' PRACTICE OF PRESENTING THE FLT PAPERS AT THE GATE AND FINAL PAPERS AT DEP TIME. 'HERE'S THE FINAL PAPERS I'M CLOSING THE DOOR!' AT THE GATE THERE IS NO PLACE TO SIT DOWN AND REVIEW THE INFO. IN THE FUTURE I WILL MAKE AN EFFORT TO REVIEW ALL PERTINENT DATA, DEVELOPING PROCS THAT WILL INSURE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL FARS.

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.