Narrative:

Our flight to binghamton was delayed while I discussed an MEL item with maintenance in the cockpit. I asked the first officer to complete the before start checklist and start the #2 engine to provide air conditioning for the passenger in the back. I watched him pick up the checklist and begin. About 5 mins later, I watched the fuel van pull up to the right side of the aircraft to check if we needed fuel. My first officer gave him the ok signal. When our maintenance problem was solved, I started the #1 engine, completed the after start checklist and called for taxi clearance. Our taxi, takeoff and climb to altitude proceeded normally. At 18000 ft and approximately 120 mi from buffalo, 18 mi northwest of binghamton, I noticed that we had less fuel than we should have had at this point. The gauges tested normally, so I now suspected a possible fuel leak or the unbelievable prospect of having left jfk without the fuel we thought we had. I decided to divert to nearby bgm airport. Under continued surveillance of our fuel indicators, the possibility of a fuel leak became less likely. We soon landed at bgm without incident. I then informed my operations and chief pilot of our diversion. After refueling, manually checking levels and visually inspecting for signs of fuel leaks, I was confident of the safe condition of the aircraft and we continued our flight up to buffalo without incident. I believe there exists a strong possibility that we experienced incorrect fuel indications that caused us to believe we had more fuel than we actually had when we departed jfk airport. Supplemental information from acn 215268: diverted into binghamton, ny, due to low fuel situation. The captain noticed that our fuel was below requirements to continue to buf, ny, our mdt aircraft had approximately 700 pounds or less per side. Without hesitation we diverted to binghamton. I believed the problem arose because prior to flight the captain and I discussed the fuel requirements and that he dialed 3800 pounds on refuel panel while I was in operations. While walking to the aircraft we again discussed min fuel amount. He dialed the amount into the fuel panel outside the aircraft. As far as I am concerned I believed the aircraft was fueled. At the aircraft, maintenance had signed off a problem with the wrong MEL number. The captain was on the radio with maintenance when the aircraft started to be boarded. Maintenance was on the flight deck. Some contributing factors were problem with the MEL, hot summer day, late boarding all created confusion and a hurry up attitude. The aircraft was hot and the captain told me to start #2 engine. Company policy for doing the checklist is challenge and response. The captain told me to do the checklist and I noted the fuel I believed that I saw 3800 pounds (19000 per side). I started #2 engine and discussed the write-up with the captain. While #2 engine was running a fuel van pull up and asked for a fuel load. I noted the fuel and thought that I saw 1900 per side and waved off the fuel van. The MEL problem was solved, we finished the after start and taxied to the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT ACFT DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE ARPT DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO MAKE DEST.

Narrative: OUR FLT TO BINGHAMTON WAS DELAYED WHILE I DISCUSSED AN MEL ITEM WITH MAINT IN THE COCKPIT. I ASKED THE FO TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE START CHKLIST AND START THE #2 ENG TO PROVIDE AIR CONDITIONING FOR THE PAX IN THE BACK. I WATCHED HIM PICK UP THE CHKLIST AND BEGIN. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, I WATCHED THE FUEL VAN PULL UP TO THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT TO CHK IF WE NEEDED FUEL. MY FO GAVE HIM THE OK SIGNAL. WHEN OUR MAINT PROBLEM WAS SOLVED, I STARTED THE #1 ENG, COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHKLIST AND CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. OUR TAXI, TKOF AND CLB TO ALT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. AT 18000 FT AND APPROX 120 MI FROM BUFFALO, 18 MI NW OF BINGHAMTON, I NOTICED THAT WE HAD LESS FUEL THAN WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AT THIS POINT. THE GAUGES TESTED NORMALLY, SO I NOW SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK OR THE UNBELIEVABLE PROSPECT OF HAVING LEFT JFK WITHOUT THE FUEL WE THOUGHT WE HAD. I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO NEARBY BGM ARPT. UNDER CONTINUED SURVEILLANCE OF OUR FUEL INDICATORS, THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUEL LEAK BECAME LESS LIKELY. WE SOON LANDED AT BGM WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THEN INFORMED MY OPS AND CHIEF PLT OF OUR DIVERSION. AFTER REFUELING, MANUALLY CHKING LEVELS AND VISUALLY INSPECTING FOR SIGNS OF FUEL LEAKS, I WAS CONFIDENT OF THE SAFE CONDITION OF THE ACFT AND WE CONTINUED OUR FLT UP TO BUFFALO WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THERE EXISTS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT WE EXPERIENCED INCORRECT FUEL INDICATIONS THAT CAUSED US TO BELIEVE WE HAD MORE FUEL THAN WE ACTUALLY HAD WHEN WE DEPARTED JFK ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 215268: DIVERTED INTO BINGHAMTON, NY, DUE TO LOW FUEL SITUATION. THE CAPT NOTICED THAT OUR FUEL WAS BELOW REQUIREMENTS TO CONTINUE TO BUF, NY, OUR MDT ACFT HAD APPROX 700 POUNDS OR LESS PER SIDE. WITHOUT HESITATION WE DIVERTED TO BINGHAMTON. I BELIEVED THE PROBLEM AROSE BECAUSE PRIOR TO FLT THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE FUEL REQUIREMENTS AND THAT HE DIALED 3800 POUNDS ON REFUEL PANEL WHILE I WAS IN OPS. WHILE WALKING TO THE ACFT WE AGAIN DISCUSSED MIN FUEL AMOUNT. HE DIALED THE AMOUNT INTO THE FUEL PANEL OUTSIDE THE ACFT. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED I BELIEVED THE ACFT WAS FUELED. AT THE ACFT, MAINT HAD SIGNED OFF A PROBLEM WITH THE WRONG MEL NUMBER. THE CAPT WAS ON THE RADIO WITH MAINT WHEN THE ACFT STARTED TO BE BOARDED. MAINT WAS ON THE FLT DECK. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE PROBLEM WITH THE MEL, HOT SUMMER DAY, LATE BOARDING ALL CREATED CONFUSION AND A HURRY UP ATTITUDE. THE ACFT WAS HOT AND THE CAPT TOLD ME TO START #2 ENG. COMPANY POLICY FOR DOING THE CHKLIST IS CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO DO THE CHKLIST AND I NOTED THE FUEL I BELIEVED THAT I SAW 3800 POUNDS (19000 PER SIDE). I STARTED #2 ENG AND DISCUSSED THE WRITE-UP WITH THE CAPT. WHILE #2 ENG WAS RUNNING A FUEL VAN PULL UP AND ASKED FOR A FUEL LOAD. I NOTED THE FUEL AND THOUGHT THAT I SAW 1900 PER SIDE AND WAVED OFF THE FUEL VAN. THE MEL PROBLEM WAS SOLVED, WE FINISHED THE AFTER START AND TAXIED TO THE RWY.

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.