Narrative:

We departed phl with the incorrect amount of fuel. Our plane had 3 MEL's to include no APU and an inoperative air conditioning pack. We were sent an incorrect release with too high an altitude for our single pack confign so the captain was trying to call dispatch (with no luck). Also, the flight attendants were complaining about lack of air flow due to phl's lack of interest in our passenger conflict problem (near full plane), and we were trying to coordinate with maintenance to get an extended air service for engine start). Just before push back, the fueler handed us a fuel slip via the pogo stick, and shortly thereafter, the agent shut the door without verifying the fuel. I had written the push back fuel on a visible portion of the release, as well as the flight fone. However, I transposed the numbers (ie, I wrote 13.6 instead of 16.3) and I didn't write down takeoff fuel like I normally do. So when we 'ran' checklists, I called 13.6 fuel and saw approximately 13.1 fuel on board. I also saw takeoff fuel as 10.0 (it was really flight time at 1 hour to buf) and knew we had no delay out of phl. Midway during the flight, we noticed on the release as well as the fuel slip that we had written down the wrong number as well as had been fueled (yet incorrectly). At that point, we checked (and already knew) WX at buf and they were calling clear skies, 10 SM visibility. When we landed, we had 7.1 or so fuel on board. Never was there a problem with fuel, nor a concern. We were caught up into carrying a marginal airplane and trying as hard as everyone to bring all things together and make that 'on time' takeoff. We need to take the pressure off crews to make the on-time takeoff at all costs. We know that, we also know we are the final focal point in this process and need to be sure everything is in order prior to push back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 DEPARTED PHL-BUF WITH INCORRECT FUEL ON BOARD. AT DEP, ACFT HAD 3 DEFERRED ITEMS, APU, AIR CONDITIONING PACK INOP. CAPT TRYING TO GET GPU FOR START AND CABIN AIR ALSO COM WITH DISPATCH TO CORRECT REQUESTED ALT FOR INOP PACK. FO TRANSPOSED THE FUEL NUMBERS AND MISREAD FUEL SLIP. CLRED WITH 16300 LBS, PUT DOWN 13600 LBS. DISCOVERED ENRTE AND CONTINUED TO BUF WHERE WX WAS NO FACTOR. LANDED WITH 7100 LBS OF FUEL.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED PHL WITH THE INCORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL. OUR PLANE HAD 3 MEL'S TO INCLUDE NO APU AND AN INOP AIR CONDITIONING PACK. WE WERE SENT AN INCORRECT RELEASE WITH TOO HIGH AN ALT FOR OUR SINGLE PACK CONFIGN SO THE CAPT WAS TRYING TO CALL DISPATCH (WITH NO LUCK). ALSO, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT LACK OF AIR FLOW DUE TO PHL'S LACK OF INTEREST IN OUR PAX CONFLICT PROB (NEAR FULL PLANE), AND WE WERE TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH MAINT TO GET AN EXTENDED AIR SVC FOR ENG START). JUST BEFORE PUSH BACK, THE FUELER HANDED US A FUEL SLIP VIA THE POGO STICK, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AGENT SHUT THE DOOR WITHOUT VERIFYING THE FUEL. I HAD WRITTEN THE PUSH BACK FUEL ON A VISIBLE PORTION OF THE RELEASE, AS WELL AS THE FLT FONE. HOWEVER, I TRANSPOSED THE NUMBERS (IE, I WROTE 13.6 INSTEAD OF 16.3) AND I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN TKOF FUEL LIKE I NORMALLY DO. SO WHEN WE 'RAN' CHKLISTS, I CALLED 13.6 FUEL AND SAW APPROX 13.1 FUEL ON BOARD. I ALSO SAW TKOF FUEL AS 10.0 (IT WAS REALLY FLT TIME AT 1 HR TO BUF) AND KNEW WE HAD NO DELAY OUT OF PHL. MIDWAY DURING THE FLT, WE NOTICED ON THE RELEASE AS WELL AS THE FUEL SLIP THAT WE HAD WRITTEN DOWN THE WRONG NUMBER AS WELL AS HAD BEEN FUELED (YET INCORRECTLY). AT THAT POINT, WE CHKED (AND ALREADY KNEW) WX AT BUF AND THEY WERE CALLING CLR SKIES, 10 SM VISIBILITY. WHEN WE LANDED, WE HAD 7.1 OR SO FUEL ON BOARD. NEVER WAS THERE A PROB WITH FUEL, NOR A CONCERN. WE WERE CAUGHT UP INTO CARRYING A MARGINAL AIRPLANE AND TRYING AS HARD AS EVERYONE TO BRING ALL THINGS TOGETHER AND MAKE THAT 'ON TIME' TKOF. WE NEED TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF CREWS TO MAKE THE ON-TIME TKOF AT ALL COSTS. WE KNOW THAT, WE ALSO KNOW WE ARE THE FINAL FOCAL POINT IN THIS PROCESS AND NEED TO BE SURE EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER PRIOR TO PUSH BACK.

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.