Narrative:

Air carrier departed station below minimum release fuel. Flight pns- bna was dispatched with 3900 pounds of fuel which included 45 mins hold and tys as an alternate. The captain called 1 hour prior to the flight to ask the dispatcher to remove 600 pounds of fuel and change the alternate to cha. The dispatcher decided that was inadvisable due to the current and developing line of thunderstorms in the bna area. The captain told the dispatcher that they would be bumping revenue as a result, of which the dispatcher was well aware. Again, the dispatcher explained that, based on current reports, forecasts, and WX movement, the fuel load plans for extensive WX holds, vectoring, and diversion to tys or cha, which is within the tys fuel range. The captain's response was, if he lost an engine on takeoff with all that fuel on board and the extra weight, his aircraft would be a fireball off the end of the runway. A comment that hardly needed a response. The dispatcher relented to reduce the hold fuel to 30 mins. The captain stated that was what the 45 min reserve is for. The dispatcher responded the reserve is for sits that can't be planned for, the hold fuel on the release was definitely for a planned situation. The captain then said he agreed to leave the fuel on the release. Departing pns, the captain took it upon himself to reduce the fuel by 600 pounds. In reporting times, only the off time was reported, which didn't require a fuel report. The actual fuel was not reported until bna was able to obtain the out time on arrival to bna, where the discrepancy was discovered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT CREW TOOK OFF WITH LESS FUEL THAN THE DISPATCHER WANTED ON THE ACFT.

Narrative: ACR DEPARTED STATION BELOW MINIMUM RELEASE FUEL. FLT PNS- BNA WAS DISPATCHED WITH 3900 LBS OF FUEL WHICH INCLUDED 45 MINS HOLD AND TYS AS AN ALTERNATE. THE CAPT CALLED 1 HR PRIOR TO THE FLT TO ASK THE DISPATCHER TO REMOVE 600 LBS OF FUEL AND CHANGE THE ALTERNATE TO CHA. THE DISPATCHER DECIDED THAT WAS INADVISABLE DUE TO THE CURRENT AND DEVELOPING LINE OF TSTMS IN THE BNA AREA. THE CAPT TOLD THE DISPATCHER THAT THEY WOULD BE BUMPING REVENUE AS A RESULT, OF WHICH THE DISPATCHER WAS WELL AWARE. AGAIN, THE DISPATCHER EXPLAINED THAT, BASED ON CURRENT RPTS, FORECASTS, AND WX MOVEMENT, THE FUEL LOAD PLANS FOR EXTENSIVE WX HOLDS, VECTORING, AND DIVERSION TO TYS OR CHA, WHICH IS WITHIN THE TYS FUEL RANGE. THE CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS, IF HE LOST AN ENG ON TKOF WITH ALL THAT FUEL ON BOARD AND THE EXTRA WT, HIS ACFT WOULD BE A FIREBALL OFF THE END OF THE RWY. A COMMENT THAT HARDLY NEEDED A RESPONSE. THE DISPATCHER RELENTED TO REDUCE THE HOLD FUEL TO 30 MINS. THE CAPT STATED THAT WAS WHAT THE 45 MIN RESERVE IS FOR. THE DISPATCHER RESPONDED THE RESERVE IS FOR SITS THAT CAN'T BE PLANNED FOR, THE HOLD FUEL ON THE RELEASE WAS DEFINITELY FOR A PLANNED SIT. THE CAPT THEN SAID HE AGREED TO LEAVE THE FUEL ON THE RELEASE. DEPARTING PNS, THE CAPT TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO REDUCE THE FUEL BY 600 LBS. IN RPTING TIMES, ONLY THE OFF TIME WAS RPTED, WHICH DIDN'T REQUIRE A FUEL RPT. THE ACTUAL FUEL WAS NOT RPTED UNTIL BNA WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE OUT TIME ON ARR TO BNA, WHERE THE DISCREPANCY WAS DISCOVERED.

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.