Narrative:

The captain advised the so and me, that departure fuel was going to be 64000 pounds of fuel. This number came after reviewing our flight plan and WX along for route to miami, fl. After arriving at manaus, the so proceeded to fuel the aircraft, dc-8-62. The return flight was a ferry flight to miami. Fueling and unloading of aircraft was normal and after finishing, we proceeded with our preflight. We read through our checklist, normally captain reads while the first officer and so respond. When the captain asked for fuel quantity on board, the so answered 64000 pounds. From this answer the captain and I checked that was the amount needed and we elected to continue with our trip. I did not have a copy of the flight plan but the captain did. Takeoff was normal. After crossing 18000 ft MSL, the captain asked the so 'how much fuel did we have on takeoff?' the so answered '45000 pounds.' the captain and I looked at each other in disbelief since the so had said before that we had 64000 pounds for ramp fuel. At this time the so and captain rechked the gauges on the so's panel. To our disbelief the so had fueled the aircraft short of required. When asked why he had said 64000 pounds before, he replied 'that he said 46000 pounds and that the captain had asked for 46000 pounds.' we phone patched the company's flight control department and received another flight plan that stopped at curacao. We refueled at curacao and continued to miami without any incidents. Both the captain and I heard the so clearly say 64000 pounds during the preparatory checklist. The so thought that 46000 pounds was a small amount but never questioned the amount we believed he heard. The captain and I never thought that we had less than 64000 pounds since the so said so during the checklist. This is an incident that could have been avoided. First, a flight crew member should be more careful in what they answer during a checklist. Second, if a crew member believes that a fuel amount is incorrect for a flight, he or she should be more voiceful and question the amount with the other crewmembers till a satisfactory answer is found. Another way of avoiding this, is when the so gives you the fuel quantity during the checklist, verify it by the uplifted gallons from the fuel slip given to you by the fueler. By doing these things, you can save the time, costs and aggravations caused by something like this. Supplemental information from acn 280200: the fuel quantity totalizer has been deactivated. With no exterior power available, the aircraft had to be fueled from outside using the meter on the truck, by me being outside the aircraft making sure the fueler (who did not speak english) stopped the fueling at the correct time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER FUEL LOAD.

Narrative: THE CAPT ADVISED THE SO AND ME, THAT DEP FUEL WAS GOING TO BE 64000 LBS OF FUEL. THIS NUMBER CAME AFTER REVIEWING OUR FLT PLAN AND WX ALONG FOR RTE TO MIAMI, FL. AFTER ARRIVING AT MANAUS, THE SO PROCEEDED TO FUEL THE ACFT, DC-8-62. THE RETURN FLT WAS A FERRY FLT TO MIAMI. FUELING AND UNLOADING OF ACFT WAS NORMAL AND AFTER FINISHING, WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR PREFLT. WE READ THROUGH OUR CHKLIST, NORMALLY CAPT READS WHILE THE FO AND SO RESPOND. WHEN THE CAPT ASKED FOR FUEL QUANTITY ON BOARD, THE SO ANSWERED 64000 LBS. FROM THIS ANSWER THE CAPT AND I CHKED THAT WAS THE AMOUNT NEEDED AND WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE WITH OUR TRIP. I DID NOT HAVE A COPY OF THE FLT PLAN BUT THE CAPT DID. TKOF WAS NORMAL. AFTER XING 18000 FT MSL, THE CAPT ASKED THE SO 'HOW MUCH FUEL DID WE HAVE ON TKOF?' THE SO ANSWERED '45000 LBS.' THE CAPT AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER IN DISBELIEF SINCE THE SO HAD SAID BEFORE THAT WE HAD 64000 LBS FOR RAMP FUEL. AT THIS TIME THE SO AND CAPT RECHKED THE GAUGES ON THE SO'S PANEL. TO OUR DISBELIEF THE SO HAD FUELED THE ACFT SHORT OF REQUIRED. WHEN ASKED WHY HE HAD SAID 64000 LBS BEFORE, HE REPLIED 'THAT HE SAID 46000 LBS AND THAT THE CAPT HAD ASKED FOR 46000 LBS.' WE PHONE PATCHED THE COMPANY'S FLT CTL DEPT AND RECEIVED ANOTHER FLT PLAN THAT STOPPED AT CURACAO. WE REFUELED AT CURACAO AND CONTINUED TO MIAMI WITHOUT ANY INCIDENTS. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HEARD THE SO CLRLY SAY 64000 LBS DURING THE PREPARATORY CHKLIST. THE SO THOUGHT THAT 46000 LBS WAS A SMALL AMOUNT BUT NEVER QUESTIONED THE AMOUNT WE BELIEVED HE HEARD. THE CAPT AND I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE HAD LESS THAN 64000 LBS SINCE THE SO SAID SO DURING THE CHKLIST. THIS IS AN INCIDENT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. FIRST, A FLC MEMBER SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL IN WHAT THEY ANSWER DURING A CHKLIST. SECOND, IF A CREW MEMBER BELIEVES THAT A FUEL AMOUNT IS INCORRECT FOR A FLT, HE OR SHE SHOULD BE MORE VOICEFUL AND QUESTION THE AMOUNT WITH THE OTHER CREWMEMBERS TILL A SATISFACTORY ANSWER IS FOUND. ANOTHER WAY OF AVOIDING THIS, IS WHEN THE SO GIVES YOU THE FUEL QUANTITY DURING THE CHKLIST, VERIFY IT BY THE UPLIFTED GALLONS FROM THE FUEL SLIP GIVEN TO YOU BY THE FUELER. BY DOING THESE THINGS, YOU CAN SAVE THE TIME, COSTS AND AGGRAVATIONS CAUSED BY SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 280200: THE FUEL QUANTITY TOTALIZER HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED. WITH NO EXTERIOR PWR AVAILABLE, THE ACFT HAD TO BE FUELED FROM OUTSIDE USING THE METER ON THE TRUCK, BY ME BEING OUTSIDE THE ACFT MAKING SURE THE FUELER (WHO DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH) STOPPED THE FUELING AT THE CORRECT TIME.

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.