Narrative:

Boarded aircraft at approximately AM15. I, as first officer, I did my normal walk-around and preflight check. The captain and I did our organizational checklist and before start checklist down to the line with everything completed. At AM40 the fueler told us that he was not able to get a sump drain to stop leaking. The captain went down to check it out. About 6 to 10 mins later he returned and told me of the problem and he had talked to technical center about the problem. I went down some time later to see if I could help in any way. I advised them on what they could do to try and fix the problem. They tried it for a while and were able to get it to stop leaking. After the sump had stopped leaking I went back to the aircraft and told the captain that it had stopped leaking and that we should start preparing to leave shortly. We got our passenger count and fuel confirmation from the agent and departed eri to pit. There was no write-up on the fuel sump drain because the leak had stopped without an a&P mechanic's help. The next day is when we were told that we had left the gate without proper fuel. The minimum takeoff fuel was 14.9 and we had 13.8. At no time were we in jeopardy of running out of fuel -- just that the release showed that we did not have what we were supposed to have. Factors affecting the quality of performance: we feel that everything we did was correct. Still, somehow we managed to overlook or simply misread our release. Corrective actions: slow down on checklist usage. Be more focused on what you are doing, and when something comes up, be even more alert for possible problems. Supplemental information from acn 298584: arrived at aircraft from a (cod) continuous on-duty period at XX15. Did the originating checklist, signed the release and checked the fuel against the release. Copilot took the release and entered the release fuel into ACARS. I went to call technical center for advice. They told operations agent to call a contract mechanic. We have none at eri. Before the mechanic arrived, the copilot (a former a and P mechanic) went outside and told the fuelers to rotate the valve drain to dislodge whatever was causing it to stick open. The leak stopped. We ran the before start checklist and we both verified the fuel at 13800 pounds. 13800 pounds was the fuel in the ACARS from the release. The agent stopped in with the final count and asked if we had 13800 pounds. I looked at the gauges and answered yes. The before takeoff checklist also lists takeoff fuel quantity and the copilot and I verified that before takeoff roll. About XY00 the following day, after the exact same trip (no one at eri mentioned anything about this), the chief pilot called to tell me that, according to the manager at eri, we had taken off the previous day (thu) with less fuel than was on the release. 13800 pounds was plenty of fuel for the trip so we did not know anything was out of the ordinary. I have no idea how we both (if in fact we did) misread the release. I have not seen any hard copy yet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MD-80 DEPARTS STATION WITHOUT PROPER DISPATCH RELEASE FUEL ON BOARD. FLC DISTR ACFT EQUIP PROB.

Narrative: BOARDED ACFT AT APPROX AM15. I, AS FO, I DID MY NORMAL WALK-AROUND AND PREFLT CHK. THE CAPT AND I DID OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHKLIST AND BEFORE START CHKLIST DOWN TO THE LINE WITH EVERYTHING COMPLETED. AT AM40 THE FUELER TOLD US THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A SUMP DRAIN TO STOP LEAKING. THE CAPT WENT DOWN TO CHK IT OUT. ABOUT 6 TO 10 MINS LATER HE RETURNED AND TOLD ME OF THE PROB AND HE HAD TALKED TO TECHNICAL CTR ABOUT THE PROB. I WENT DOWN SOME TIME LATER TO SEE IF I COULD HELP IN ANY WAY. I ADVISED THEM ON WHAT THEY COULD DO TO TRY AND FIX THE PROB. THEY TRIED IT FOR A WHILE AND WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO STOP LEAKING. AFTER THE SUMP HAD STOPPED LEAKING I WENT BACK TO THE ACFT AND TOLD THE CAPT THAT IT HAD STOPPED LEAKING AND THAT WE SHOULD START PREPARING TO LEAVE SHORTLY. WE GOT OUR PAX COUNT AND FUEL CONFIRMATION FROM THE AGENT AND DEPARTED ERI TO PIT. THERE WAS NO WRITE-UP ON THE FUEL SUMP DRAIN BECAUSE THE LEAK HAD STOPPED WITHOUT AN A&P MECH'S HELP. THE NEXT DAY IS WHEN WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD LEFT THE GATE WITHOUT PROPER FUEL. THE MINIMUM TKOF FUEL WAS 14.9 AND WE HAD 13.8. AT NO TIME WERE WE IN JEOPARDY OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL -- JUST THAT THE RELEASE SHOWED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE: WE FEEL THAT EVERYTHING WE DID WAS CORRECT. STILL, SOMEHOW WE MANAGED TO OVERLOOK OR SIMPLY MISREAD OUR RELEASE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: SLOW DOWN ON CHKLIST USAGE. BE MORE FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND WHEN SOMETHING COMES UP, BE EVEN MORE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE PROBS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 298584: ARRIVED AT ACFT FROM A (COD) CONTINUOUS ON-DUTY PERIOD AT XX15. DID THE ORIGINATING CHKLIST, SIGNED THE RELEASE AND CHKED THE FUEL AGAINST THE RELEASE. COPLT TOOK THE RELEASE AND ENTERED THE RELEASE FUEL INTO ACARS. I WENT TO CALL TECHNICAL CTR FOR ADVICE. THEY TOLD OPS AGENT TO CALL A CONTRACT MECH. WE HAVE NONE AT ERI. BEFORE THE MECH ARRIVED, THE COPLT (A FORMER A AND P MECH) WENT OUTSIDE AND TOLD THE FUELERS TO ROTATE THE VALVE DRAIN TO DISLODGE WHATEVER WAS CAUSING IT TO STICK OPEN. THE LEAK STOPPED. WE RAN THE BEFORE START CHKLIST AND WE BOTH VERIFIED THE FUEL AT 13800 LBS. 13800 LBS WAS THE FUEL IN THE ACARS FROM THE RELEASE. THE AGENT STOPPED IN WITH THE FINAL COUNT AND ASKED IF WE HAD 13800 LBS. I LOOKED AT THE GAUGES AND ANSWERED YES. THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST ALSO LISTS TKOF FUEL QUANTITY AND THE COPLT AND I VERIFIED THAT BEFORE TKOF ROLL. ABOUT XY00 THE FOLLOWING DAY, AFTER THE EXACT SAME TRIP (NO ONE AT ERI MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS), THE CHIEF PLT CALLED TO TELL ME THAT, ACCORDING TO THE MGR AT ERI, WE HAD TAKEN OFF THE PREVIOUS DAY (THU) WITH LESS FUEL THAN WAS ON THE RELEASE. 13800 LBS WAS PLENTY OF FUEL FOR THE TRIP SO WE DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW WE BOTH (IF IN FACT WE DID) MISREAD THE RELEASE. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY HARD COPY YET.

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.