Heavy transport departs with insufficient fuel for their trip. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	231341
Time
Date	199301
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ppt
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : abe
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff landing other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ppt
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	231341
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After finishing a behind the clock flight (xa:30 -- xh:30AM) the previous day, this entire crew left hnl for ppt at xx:00 pm on 1/93. The flight to ppt was without incidence however, everyone on this crew mentioned how tired we felt. Once on the ground in ppt, the captain went into the local office to pick up the flight plan and WX data for our return flight to hnl. Upon his return he said he wanted 74000 pounds of fuel and we have 15 min to turn the plane which usually requires an hour and a half. Meanwhile I was loading the INS and omega information. Being so tired nobody even thought to check this load with the flight planned load. After takeoff on the climb out the flight engineer realized we didn't have enough fuel for our flight, which prompted an immediate course reversal with ATC to return. While in our turn, hnl commercial radio called with a phone patch from our dispatch, saying to return. We arrived back in ppt without incidence and refueled to the correct load and flew to hnl. I think a combination of fatigue and rushing made the 3 of us overlook checking our flight planned fuel with our actual fuel load. After speaking to our chief pilot about this, we came to a solution of putting a block 'flight planned fuel' on the flight engineer's fuel loading sheet right next to fuel load.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HVT DEPARTS WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THEIR TRIP. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: AFTER FINISHING A BEHIND THE CLOCK FLT (XA:30 -- XH:30AM) THE PREVIOUS DAY, THIS ENTIRE CREW LEFT HNL FOR PPT AT XX:00 PM ON 1/93. THE FLT TO PPT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENCE HOWEVER, EVERYONE ON THIS CREW MENTIONED HOW TIRED WE FELT. ONCE ON THE GND IN PPT, THE CAPT WENT INTO THE LCL OFFICE TO PICK UP THE FLT PLAN AND WX DATA FOR OUR RETURN FLT TO HNL. UPON HIS RETURN HE SAID HE WANTED 74000 LBS OF FUEL AND WE HAVE 15 MIN TO TURN THE PLANE WHICH USUALLY REQUIRES AN HR AND A HALF. MEANWHILE I WAS LOADING THE INS AND OMEGA INFO. BEING SO TIRED NOBODY EVEN THOUGHT TO CHK THIS LOAD WITH THE FLT PLANNED LOAD. AFTER TKOF ON THE CLB OUT THE FE REALIZED WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR OUR FLT, WHICH PROMPTED AN IMMEDIATE COURSE REVERSAL WITH ATC TO RETURN. WHILE IN OUR TURN, HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO CALLED WITH A PHONE PATCH FROM OUR DISPATCH, SAYING TO RETURN. WE ARRIVED BACK IN PPT WITHOUT INCIDENCE AND REFUELED TO THE CORRECT LOAD AND FLEW TO HNL. I THINK A COMBINATION OF FATIGUE AND RUSHING MADE THE 3 OF US OVERLOOK CHKING OUR FLT PLANNED FUEL WITH OUR ACTUAL FUEL LOAD. AFTER SPEAKING TO OUR CHIEF PLT ABOUT THIS, WE CAME TO A SOLUTION OF PUTTING A BLOCK 'FLT PLANNED FUEL' ON THE FE'S FUEL LOADING SHEET RIGHT NEXT TO FUEL LOAD.

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.