Narrative:

I reported to the aircraft 45 mins prior to departure. I had never flown with the captain, and when I arrived he was in his seat performing his preflight. He had already loaded the flight and fuel data in the FMC and ACARS. As I walked into the cockpit and before I could set my bags down the captain pointed to the fuel gauges and said, 'do you see 18.4? Without giving my full attention I looked over my arm and saw 8.2 left 8.2 right and 300 in the center and replied, 'no, I see 18.7 (seeing the 8's and associating this with 18 and adding the 100's and getting 700 number). I set my bags down and went outside to complete my preflight. When I returned, I checked my instrument panel and the captain immediately called for the before start checklist. My normal preflight procedure, which includes 3 different fuel checks and xchks and then writing it down on a folded flight plan for both of us to see, was totally disrupted! 90 percent of the time the first officer arrives at the aircraft and completes his preflight and loads all data in the ACARS and FMC. The first item on the before start checklist is fuel/oil/hydraulic quantities. The response is a dual response, first by the copilot and then by the captain. The captain again answered immediately by saying '18.4' and I followed by saying 18.4 plus. On the before takeoff checklist we have a minimum fuel challenge and response. This amount is different from the first quantity, so I added the fuel to ensure we had takeoff minimum fuel. But, when I added this time (the first time I added without being given a number by the captain) I came up with 16.4. This checklist item saved us. We taxied clear of the taxiway and called our dispatcher to ensure we were legal, so we requested a new release via ACARS. We continued the flight without delay, landing with ACARS reaping 9000 pounds on board. The capts poor cockpit resource management procedures and strong personality prevented a normal objective input from me and also did not allow me to comfortably complete my preflight. If the captain had asked what I saw on the fuel gauges, rather than to confirm what he had already calculated, he would have gotten an objective input and compared it to what he had calculated. Bottom line: we learned a lot from this encounter and discussed cockpit resource management at great length. No one will ever disrupt my preflight procedure again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DEPARTED GATE WITH FUEL DISCREPANCY.

Narrative: I RPTED TO THE ACFT 45 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. I HAD NEVER FLOWN WITH THE CAPT, AND WHEN I ARRIVED HE WAS IN HIS SEAT PERFORMING HIS PREFLT. HE HAD ALREADY LOADED THE FLT AND FUEL DATA IN THE FMC AND ACARS. AS I WALKED INTO THE COCKPIT AND BEFORE I COULD SET MY BAGS DOWN THE CAPT POINTED TO THE FUEL GAUGES AND SAID, 'DO YOU SEE 18.4? WITHOUT GIVING MY FULL ATTN I LOOKED OVER MY ARM AND SAW 8.2 L 8.2 R AND 300 IN THE CTR AND REPLIED, 'NO, I SEE 18.7 (SEEING THE 8'S AND ASSOCIATING THIS WITH 18 AND ADDING THE 100'S AND GETTING 700 NUMBER). I SET MY BAGS DOWN AND WENT OUTSIDE TO COMPLETE MY PREFLT. WHEN I RETURNED, I CHKED MY INST PANEL AND THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. MY NORMAL PREFLT PROC, WHICH INCLUDES 3 DIFFERENT FUEL CHKS AND XCHKS AND THEN WRITING IT DOWN ON A FOLDED FLT PLAN FOR BOTH OF US TO SEE, WAS TOTALLY DISRUPTED! 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME THE FO ARRIVES AT THE ACFT AND COMPLETES HIS PREFLT AND LOADS ALL DATA IN THE ACARS AND FMC. THE FIRST ITEM ON THE BEFORE START CHKLIST IS FUEL/OIL/HYD QUANTITIES. THE RESPONSE IS A DUAL RESPONSE, FIRST BY THE COPLT AND THEN BY THE CAPT. THE CAPT AGAIN ANSWERED IMMEDIATELY BY SAYING '18.4' AND I FOLLOWED BY SAYING 18.4 PLUS. ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WE HAVE A MINIMUM FUEL CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE. THIS AMOUNT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST QUANTITY, SO I ADDED THE FUEL TO ENSURE WE HAD TKOF MINIMUM FUEL. BUT, WHEN I ADDED THIS TIME (THE FIRST TIME I ADDED WITHOUT BEING GIVEN A NUMBER BY THE CAPT) I CAME UP WITH 16.4. THIS CHKLIST ITEM SAVED US. WE TAXIED CLR OF THE TXWY AND CALLED OUR DISPATCHER TO ENSURE WE WERE LEGAL, SO WE REQUESTED A NEW RELEASE VIA ACARS. WE CONTINUED THE FLT WITHOUT DELAY, LNDG WITH ACARS REAPING 9000 LBS ON BOARD. THE CAPTS POOR COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT PROCS AND STRONG PERSONALITY PREVENTED A NORMAL OBJECTIVE INPUT FROM ME AND ALSO DID NOT ALLOW ME TO COMFORTABLY COMPLETE MY PREFLT. IF THE CAPT HAD ASKED WHAT I SAW ON THE FUEL GAUGES, RATHER THAN TO CONFIRM WHAT HE HAD ALREADY CALCULATED, HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN OBJECTIVE INPUT AND COMPARED IT TO WHAT HE HAD CALCULATED. BOTTOM LINE: WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS ENCOUNTER AND DISCUSSED COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT AT GREAT LENGTH. NO ONE WILL EVER DISRUPT MY PREFLT PROC AGAIN.

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.