Narrative:

Cargo flight operating hong kong - seoul korea - anchorage, ak (seoul is a fueling stop only). Aircraft departed hong kong late due to an airlines (widebody transport) accident in hong kong. Seoul, korea has a curfew at XB00Z. Aircraft arrived at XA15Z. In order to avoid an overnight delay in seoul, the flight had to depart before XB00Z. The aircraft was operating with #1 fuel quantity indicator inoperative. It was requested from the ground personnel that tanks #1, #2 and #3 be filled to capacity in order to remove the possibility of an error in the #1 tank. Because of a language barrier this was not done. Air carrier established procedure is to total the fuel uplifted plus the fuel on arrival and that should equal the required fuel load for departure. Because of the reduced ground time in order to avoid the curfew I inadvertently omitted complying with this procedure, as a consequence the flight departed with 14000 pounds less than the required fuel load of 178000 pounds for the flight due to the error on the #1 indicator system. After the discrepancy was discovered we coordinated our efforts with our dispatch department, a refile flight plan was issued and we proceeded to destination landing at anchorage with 14400 pounds of fuel remaining even though we lost 11 mins from the original flight plan due to unfavorable winds.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB ACR ACFT DEPARTED WITH LESS AVAILABLE FUEL THAN REQUIRED FOR THE PROPOSED FLT DUE TO A LANGUAGE BARRIER IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY AND NOT CALCULATING THE FUEL LOAD PER COMPANY PROC.

Narrative: CARGO FLT OPERATING HONG KONG - SEOUL KOREA - ANCHORAGE, AK (SEOUL IS A FUELING STOP ONLY). ACFT DEPARTED HONG KONG LATE DUE TO AN AIRLINES (WDB) ACCIDENT IN HONG KONG. SEOUL, KOREA HAS A CURFEW AT XB00Z. ACFT ARRIVED AT XA15Z. IN ORDER TO AVOID AN OVERNIGHT DELAY IN SEOUL, THE FLT HAD TO DEPART BEFORE XB00Z. THE ACFT WAS OPERATING WITH #1 FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR INOP. IT WAS REQUESTED FROM THE GND PERSONNEL THAT TANKS #1, #2 AND #3 BE FILLED TO CAPACITY IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ERROR IN THE #1 TANK. BECAUSE OF A LANGUAGE BARRIER THIS WAS NOT DONE. ACR ESTABLISHED PROC IS TO TOTAL THE FUEL UPLIFTED PLUS THE FUEL ON ARR AND THAT SHOULD EQUAL THE REQUIRED FUEL LOAD FOR DEP. BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED GND TIME IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CURFEW I INADVERTENTLY OMITTED COMPLYING WITH THIS PROC, AS A CONSEQUENCE THE FLT DEPARTED WITH 14000 LBS LESS THAN THE REQUIRED FUEL LOAD OF 178000 LBS FOR THE FLT DUE TO THE ERROR ON THE #1 INDICATOR SYS. AFTER THE DISCREPANCY WAS DISCOVERED WE COORDINATED OUR EFFORTS WITH OUR DISPATCH DEPT, A REFILE FLT PLAN WAS ISSUED AND WE PROCEEDED TO DEST LNDG AT ANCHORAGE WITH 14400 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING EVEN THOUGH WE LOST 11 MINS FROM THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN DUE TO UNFAVORABLE WINDS.

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.