Narrative:

I arrived in operations about an hour early and conducted a preflight paperwork check, including MEL's, NOTAM's, and en route WX. I reconciled the fuel burn with the released fuel load and plotted the convective WX along the route of flight. The fuel plan did not include contingency fuel. About the time the fuel plan and turbulence plot was completed, the operations agent posted amended release number 3, which included an aircraft change. The new aircraft had no MEL's, and the fuel load was the same -- 17800 pounds. I proceeded to the departure gate. When I arrived at the departure gate, the area was empty. The departure gate had at the last min changed. I arrived at the new gate about 25 mins prior to scheduled departure. When I entered the cockpit, a fuel slip was in the usual position on the center console. After completing an interior and exterior preflight check I checked the fuel slip against the aircraft number and the fuel on the gauges. The fuel slip checked for 20000 pounds of fuel on board. I mentally noted the fuel must have been increased to include contingency fuel for en route WX. I did not check the top right hand corner of the fuel slip to check the flight number against the release. Because of the last min aircraft and gate change, the captain was a bit behind in duties also. During the receiving aircraft checklist, the fueler or agent asked the captain if we had a fuel slip. I responded that 'the fuel slip checks for 20000 pounds and I have it here.' again when responding to the fuel on the receiving aircraft checklist, I responded 'release minimums are 17.8, fuel slip checks for 20.0 -- distribution is normal.' during the takeoff flow, I bumped the weight up on the weight card to reflect the fuel on board. The fuel weight on the ACARS still reflected 17.8. I reasoned the load had not caught up with the system. The takeoff and climb was normal. During the departure climb, we received an ACARS message asking if we had a fuel slip and do we have enough fuel on board. I called operations and the radio and assured them that we had a slip and plenty of fuel, then fished around in the trash and found the fuel slip. To my surprise this airplane was not a hangar flight -- but another flight that had been canceled. Had I read the slip carefully, the error would have been caught at this time. I then sent an ACARS message to the dispatcher asking to amend the release to 20000 pounds. Dispatch answered that a notation of our fuel would be made. Upon arrival at phl the captain called dispatch and explained the error, etc. The dispatcher advised that the release fuel cannot be amended after the airplane is in the air. In addition we wrote a company air safety report and presented the report to the chief pilot with the above explanation. I was being careful about checking fuel, MEL's, etc, but after 3 airplane changes, a last min gate change and the possibility of a late departure, I became rushed and didn't notice that the fuel slip was for another flight number and that our release had not been amended to reflect the additional fuel. I have been a line pilot for 15 yrs -- nearly 10 on this airplane. Just when you think you have seen every conceivable method of getting 30 days off or a $10000 fine another one is invented.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC-9-30 FLC DEPARTS WITH EXTRA FUEL, OVER THAT AS SPECIFIED IN THE ACR'S FLT RELEASE.

Narrative: I ARRIVED IN OPS ABOUT AN HR EARLY AND CONDUCTED A PREFLT PAPERWORK CHK, INCLUDING MEL'S, NOTAM'S, AND ENRTE WX. I RECONCILED THE FUEL BURN WITH THE RELEASED FUEL LOAD AND PLOTTED THE CONVECTIVE WX ALONG THE RTE OF FLT. THE FUEL PLAN DID NOT INCLUDE CONTINGENCY FUEL. ABOUT THE TIME THE FUEL PLAN AND TURB PLOT WAS COMPLETED, THE OPS AGENT POSTED AMENDED RELEASE NUMBER 3, WHICH INCLUDED AN ACFT CHANGE. THE NEW ACFT HAD NO MEL'S, AND THE FUEL LOAD WAS THE SAME -- 17800 LBS. I PROCEEDED TO THE DEP GATE. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DEP GATE, THE AREA WAS EMPTY. THE DEP GATE HAD AT THE LAST MIN CHANGED. I ARRIVED AT THE NEW GATE ABOUT 25 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP. WHEN I ENTERED THE COCKPIT, A FUEL SLIP WAS IN THE USUAL POS ON THE CTR CONSOLE. AFTER COMPLETING AN INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR PREFLT CHK I CHKED THE FUEL SLIP AGAINST THE ACFT NUMBER AND THE FUEL ON THE GAUGES. THE FUEL SLIP CHKED FOR 20000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. I MENTALLY NOTED THE FUEL MUST HAVE BEEN INCREASED TO INCLUDE CONTINGENCY FUEL FOR ENRTE WX. I DID NOT CHK THE TOP R HAND CORNER OF THE FUEL SLIP TO CHK THE FLT NUMBER AGAINST THE RELEASE. BECAUSE OF THE LAST MIN ACFT AND GATE CHANGE, THE CAPT WAS A BIT BEHIND IN DUTIES ALSO. DURING THE RECEIVING ACFT CHKLIST, THE FUELER OR AGENT ASKED THE CAPT IF WE HAD A FUEL SLIP. I RESPONDED THAT 'THE FUEL SLIP CHKS FOR 20000 LBS AND I HAVE IT HERE.' AGAIN WHEN RESPONDING TO THE FUEL ON THE RECEIVING ACFT CHKLIST, I RESPONDED 'RELEASE MINIMUMS ARE 17.8, FUEL SLIP CHKS FOR 20.0 -- DISTRIBUTION IS NORMAL.' DURING THE TKOF FLOW, I BUMPED THE WT UP ON THE WT CARD TO REFLECT THE FUEL ON BOARD. THE FUEL WT ON THE ACARS STILL REFLECTED 17.8. I REASONED THE LOAD HAD NOT CAUGHT UP WITH THE SYS. THE TKOF AND CLB WAS NORMAL. DURING THE DEP CLB, WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE ASKING IF WE HAD A FUEL SLIP AND DO WE HAVE ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD. I CALLED OPS AND THE RADIO AND ASSURED THEM THAT WE HAD A SLIP AND PLENTY OF FUEL, THEN FISHED AROUND IN THE TRASH AND FOUND THE FUEL SLIP. TO MY SURPRISE THIS AIRPLANE WAS NOT A HANGAR FLT -- BUT ANOTHER FLT THAT HAD BEEN CANCELED. HAD I READ THE SLIP CAREFULLY, THE ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AT THIS TIME. I THEN SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO THE DISPATCHER ASKING TO AMEND THE RELEASE TO 20000 LBS. DISPATCH ANSWERED THAT A NOTATION OF OUR FUEL WOULD BE MADE. UPON ARR AT PHL THE CAPT CALLED DISPATCH AND EXPLAINED THE ERROR, ETC. THE DISPATCHER ADVISED THAT THE RELEASE FUEL CANNOT BE AMENDED AFTER THE AIRPLANE IS IN THE AIR. IN ADDITION WE WROTE A COMPANY AIR SAFETY RPT AND PRESENTED THE RPT TO THE CHIEF PLT WITH THE ABOVE EXPLANATION. I WAS BEING CAREFUL ABOUT CHKING FUEL, MEL'S, ETC, BUT AFTER 3 AIRPLANE CHANGES, A LAST MIN GATE CHANGE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A LATE DEP, I BECAME RUSHED AND DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE FUEL SLIP WAS FOR ANOTHER FLT NUMBER AND THAT OUR RELEASE HAD NOT BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT THE ADDITIONAL FUEL. I HAVE BEEN A LINE PLT FOR 15 YRS -- NEARLY 10 ON THIS AIRPLANE. JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE SEEN EVERY CONCEIVABLE METHOD OF GETTING 30 DAYS OFF OR A $10000 FINE ANOTHER ONE IS INVENTED.

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.