Narrative:

After arriving at college station easterwood field (cll) we deplaned passenger and postflted the aircraft. There was a fuel truck present when I walked around the aircraft. After about 1 hour, 20 mins we returned to the same aircraft. We performed cockpit clean up and before starting checklists which includes fuel quantity and totalizer checks. When fuel quantity was called 2500 pounds, I glanced at the fuel gauges and confirmed the quantity. After departure while leveling at 12000 ft, both the captain and myself noticed when doing the cruise check, which includes fuel balance, the fuel gauges indicated less than we thought we should have. Afterwards, I immediately checked fuel flow and with the quantity remaining I computed what would be needed to complete the flight. Confirming this with the dispatch release (2350 pounds release fuel) and flight manifest (2500 pounds to be loaded) we confirmed we had sufficient fuel to complete the flight with about 600 pounds remaining after lng which is approximately 45 mins reserve. (At this point we realized we had misread the fuel gauges which read 1500 pounds, 750 pounds each side not 2500 pounds-1250 pounds each side during preflight.) the rest of the flight was uneventful and WX was VMC. We continued the flight and landed at dfw airport with 650 pounds on board. We misread the gauges because we both saw the fuel truck earlier and expected to see what was required quantity. The captain and myself have flown together for several hundred hours and have a high level of trust in each other which led to not having a critical view of each other's actions. My preoccupation with an illness, my wife seeing a doctor about this day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISREAD FUEL GAUGES DURING PREFLT AND DIDN'T DISCOVER THEIR ERROR UNTIL AIRBORNE. THEY HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE THEIR FLT, BUT PROBABLY NOT WITH FAR REQUIREMENTS. FO RPTR ATTRIBUTES SEVERAL FACTORS TO MAKING THE ERROR -- SAW FUEL TRUCK AT ACFT (ASSUMED FUEL WOULD BE CORRECT), TOO TRUSTWORTHY OF CAPT AND PERSONAL PREOCCUPATION WITH WIFE'S ILLNESS.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING AT COLLEGE STATION EASTERWOOD FIELD (CLL) WE DEPLANED PAX AND POSTFLTED THE ACFT. THERE WAS A FUEL TRUCK PRESENT WHEN I WALKED AROUND THE ACFT. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR, 20 MINS WE RETURNED TO THE SAME ACFT. WE PERFORMED COCKPIT CLEAN UP AND BEFORE STARTING CHKLISTS WHICH INCLUDES FUEL QUANTITY AND TOTALIZER CHKS. WHEN FUEL QUANTITY WAS CALLED 2500 LBS, I GLANCED AT THE FUEL GAUGES AND CONFIRMED THE QUANTITY. AFTER DEP WHILE LEVELING AT 12000 FT, BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF NOTICED WHEN DOING THE CRUISE CHK, WHICH INCLUDES FUEL BAL, THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED LESS THAN WE THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE. AFTERWARDS, I IMMEDIATELY CHKED FUEL FLOW AND WITH THE QUANTITY REMAINING I COMPUTED WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE FLT. CONFIRMING THIS WITH THE DISPATCH RELEASE (2350 LBS RELEASE FUEL) AND FLT MANIFEST (2500 LBS TO BE LOADED) WE CONFIRMED WE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITH ABOUT 600 LBS REMAINING AFTER LNG WHICH IS APPROX 45 MINS RESERVE. (AT THIS POINT WE REALIZED WE HAD MISREAD THE FUEL GAUGES WHICH READ 1500 LBS, 750 LBS EACH SIDE NOT 2500 LBS-1250 LBS EACH SIDE DURING PREFLT.) THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WX WAS VMC. WE CONTINUED THE FLT AND LANDED AT DFW ARPT WITH 650 LBS ON BOARD. WE MISREAD THE GAUGES BECAUSE WE BOTH SAW THE FUEL TRUCK EARLIER AND EXPECTED TO SEE WHAT WAS REQUIRED QUANTITY. THE CAPT AND MYSELF HAVE FLOWN TOGETHER FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED HRS AND HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF TRUST IN EACH OTHER WHICH LED TO NOT HAVING A CRITICAL VIEW OF EACH OTHER'S ACTIONS. MY PREOCCUPATION WITH AN ILLNESS, MY WIFE SEEING A DOCTOR ABOUT THIS DAY.

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.