Narrative:

We departed reading en route to pittsburgh. On the climb out the captain discovered we did not have the required fuel on board as specified by our flight release. Instead of having 1500 pounds of fuel we only had 900 pounds. At this point we had 3 options. The first, continuing on to pit we quickly eliminated for 2 reasons: our fuel burn called for 750 pounds which would have only left us 150 pounds, not enough to meet our legal requirement. Having come from pit an hour and a half ago we knew the WX was getting worse. Our second option was to return to reading. Our third option was to divert to an altitude airport along our route. We had been cleared to the st thomas VOR (ths) and the hagerstown, md, airport was along that route. With hagerstown being a city we normally serve as well as a legal alternate for us, and being only 20 mins away with 1 1/2 hours of fuel on board we chose to stop at hagerstown to take on fuel. We advised ZDC of our intentions. We advised our people in hagerstown of our situation and landed. After fueling we departed for pit and the flight concluded uneventfully. The contributing factors are as follows: a schedule requiring a 15 min turn around time. Secondly, a fueler who, for whatever reason, never fueled the airplane. Thirdly, station agents who in their desire for on time performance, never noticed or advised the crew that the fuel truck never came to fuel the airplane. Finally, a crew, specifically the captain who in their desire for timeliness, misread the fuel gauges. Commuter airline schedules like this one are so tight in terms of time constraints, that they breed mistakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT DEPARTED WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED READING ENRTE TO PITTSBURGH. ON THE CLBOUT THE CAPT DISCOVERED WE DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED FUEL ON BOARD AS SPECIFIED BY OUR FLT RELEASE. INSTEAD OF HAVING 1500 LBS OF FUEL WE ONLY HAD 900 LBS. AT THIS POINT WE HAD 3 OPTIONS. THE FIRST, CONTINUING ON TO PIT WE QUICKLY ELIMINATED FOR 2 REASONS: OUR FUEL BURN CALLED FOR 750 LBS WHICH WOULD HAVE ONLY LEFT US 150 LBS, NOT ENOUGH TO MEET OUR LEGAL REQUIREMENT. HAVING COME FROM PIT AN HR AND A HALF AGO WE KNEW THE WX WAS GETTING WORSE. OUR SECOND OPTION WAS TO RETURN TO READING. OUR THIRD OPTION WAS TO DIVERT TO AN ALT ARPT ALONG OUR RTE. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO THE ST THOMAS VOR (THS) AND THE HAGERSTOWN, MD, ARPT WAS ALONG THAT RTE. WITH HAGERSTOWN BEING A CITY WE NORMALLY SERVE AS WELL AS A LEGAL ALTERNATE FOR US, AND BEING ONLY 20 MINS AWAY WITH 1 1/2 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD WE CHOSE TO STOP AT HAGERSTOWN TO TAKE ON FUEL. WE ADVISED ZDC OF OUR INTENTIONS. WE ADVISED OUR PEOPLE IN HAGERSTOWN OF OUR SIT AND LANDED. AFTER FUELING WE DEPARTED FOR PIT AND THE FLT CONCLUDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE AS FOLLOWS: A SCHEDULE REQUIRING A 15 MIN TURN AROUND TIME. SECONDLY, A FUELER WHO, FOR WHATEVER REASON, NEVER FUELED THE AIRPLANE. THIRDLY, STATION AGENTS WHO IN THEIR DESIRE FOR ON TIME PERFORMANCE, NEVER NOTICED OR ADVISED THE CREW THAT THE FUEL TRUCK NEVER CAME TO FUEL THE AIRPLANE. FINALLY, A CREW, SPECIFICALLY THE CAPT WHO IN THEIR DESIRE FOR TIMELINESS, MISREAD THE FUEL GAUGES. COMMUTER AIRLINE SCHEDULES LIKE THIS ONE ARE SO TIGHT IN TERMS OF TIME CONSTRAINTS, THAT THEY BREED MISTAKES.

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.