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An air carrier light transport reports that it took off without being fueled. Error admitted. Flight crew technique preflight inspection and checklist compliance both poor. Fuel emergency declared. Flight assist.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 347305 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199609 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fgt airport : msp |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : msp |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 7100 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 347305 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 910 |
| ASRS Report | 347425 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While on the arrival to msp we noticed the fuel gauges were unusually low. Unable to confirm this, we determined that if there were any delays to msp, we would burn into our IFR reserve fuel. We immediately informed ATC of the fuel critical condition. ATC then said no problem, vectored us to the airport and we landed without incident and with our IFR fuel reserves to spare. After shutdown, we discussed the situation and realized that, even though we did order fuel and hung a fuel slip from the fuel panel door per company procedures, the aircraft was not refueled. The fuel order slip was placed in the door during preflight 30 mins prior to departure. When the first officer returned to the cockpit, the cockpit inspection checklist was completed with the last 2 items being: 1) fueling door and caps, and 2) fuel quantity to go, meaning we were waiting for the fuel truck, which was fueling the aircraft in front of us to fuel us. This was the routine every morning, to fuel them first. When the boarding was complete, the ramp agent wanted us to start engine #2. Unable to see the right engine clearly, we relied on the agent to clear the area and we started. The side windows were covered with thick dew and the sun shining on it made it very difficult to see. We then departed. Upon arrival in msp a portion of the fuel slip was still in the fueling panel. Supplemental information from acn 347425: complacency. We all assume that everyone did their job. Looking at a small gauge with a quick glance and not seeing what is there, but what you want to see. On time departure pressure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR LTT RPTS THAT IT TOOK OFF WITHOUT BEING FUELED. ERROR ADMITTED. FLC TECHNIQUE PREFLT INSPECTION AND CHKLIST COMPLIANCE BOTH POOR. FUEL EMER DECLARED. FLT ASSIST.
Narrative: WHILE ON THE ARR TO MSP WE NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGES WERE UNUSUALLY LOW. UNABLE TO CONFIRM THIS, WE DETERMINED THAT IF THERE WERE ANY DELAYS TO MSP, WE WOULD BURN INTO OUR IFR RESERVE FUEL. WE IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ATC OF THE FUEL CRITICAL CONDITION. ATC THEN SAID NO PROB, VECTORED US TO THE ARPT AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WITH OUR IFR FUEL RESERVES TO SPARE. AFTER SHUTDOWN, WE DISCUSSED THE SIT AND REALIZED THAT, EVEN THOUGH WE DID ORDER FUEL AND HUNG A FUEL SLIP FROM THE FUEL PANEL DOOR PER COMPANY PROCS, THE ACFT WAS NOT REFUELED. THE FUEL ORDER SLIP WAS PLACED IN THE DOOR DURING PREFLT 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. WHEN THE FO RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT, THE COCKPIT INSPECTION CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED WITH THE LAST 2 ITEMS BEING: 1) FUELING DOOR AND CAPS, AND 2) FUEL QUANTITY TO GO, MEANING WE WERE WAITING FOR THE FUEL TRUCK, WHICH WAS FUELING THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US TO FUEL US. THIS WAS THE ROUTINE EVERY MORNING, TO FUEL THEM FIRST. WHEN THE BOARDING WAS COMPLETE, THE RAMP AGENT WANTED US TO START ENG #2. UNABLE TO SEE THE R ENG CLRLY, WE RELIED ON THE AGENT TO CLR THE AREA AND WE STARTED. THE SIDE WINDOWS WERE COVERED WITH THICK DEW AND THE SUN SHINING ON IT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. WE THEN DEPARTED. UPON ARR IN MSP A PORTION OF THE FUEL SLIP WAS STILL IN THE FUELING PANEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 347425: COMPLACENCY. WE ALL ASSUME THAT EVERYONE DID THEIR JOB. LOOKING AT A SMALL GAUGE WITH A QUICK GLANCE AND NOT SEEING WHAT IS THERE, BUT WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE. ON TIME DEP PRESSURE.
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.