Narrative:

First officer and I both did walkaround of aircraft +/-1 hour prior to departure, fuel ticket was hanging from wing fuel panel. I sat in aircraft for a while then left and returned several times to pick up release and WX and use bathroom. I noticed fuel truck was parked next to right wing and assumed we were getting fuel (it was waiting to fuel a different aircraft). Prior to setting up cockpit first officer asked ATC for clearance, they put us on request. We started before start checklist when ATC told us there was no flight plan in the system. I left cockpit to go inside to operations to call dispatch to ask them to refile our flight plan. When I came back to aircraft, ground crew was ready to start right engine. We did boxed item checklist and started engine. I did not realize we had never finished before start checklist which had a fuel check on it. Everything proceeded normally from then until taxi. After receiving taxi clearance I started to taxi off ramp and realized we had 1600 pounds of fuel not the required 2600 pounds. I told first officer to tell ground control we needed to return to gate. I told company operations we needed fuel. After shutting down aircraft I ran into operations, called company dispatch, told them what happened and amended release. We got fuel and rest of flight proceeded normally. Causes of my oversight were, getting interrupted during checklist, not finishing checklist immediately and not doing a final walkaround on last return to aircraft, and thinking I had completed a checklist which we had not completed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MDT COMPLETES WALKAROUND REQUESTS CLRNC. ATC INDICATES NO CLRNC ON FILE. CHKLIST INTERRUPTED TO RETURN TO OPS TO REFILE. ON TAXI OUT FLC NOTICES FUEL LEVEL IS NOT AS REQUIRED. TAXI BACK TO GATE TO TAKE ON FUEL.

Narrative: FO AND I BOTH DID WALKAROUND OF ACFT +/-1 HR PRIOR TO DEP, FUEL TICKET WAS HANGING FROM WING FUEL PANEL. I SAT IN ACFT FOR A WHILE THEN LEFT AND RETURNED SEVERAL TIMES TO PICK UP RELEASE AND WX AND USE BATHROOM. I NOTICED FUEL TRUCK WAS PARKED NEXT TO R WING AND ASSUMED WE WERE GETTING FUEL (IT WAS WAITING TO FUEL A DIFFERENT ACFT). PRIOR TO SETTING UP COCKPIT FO ASKED ATC FOR CLRNC, THEY PUT US ON REQUEST. WE STARTED BEFORE START CHKLIST WHEN ATC TOLD US THERE WAS NO FLT PLAN IN THE SYS. I LEFT COCKPIT TO GO INSIDE TO OPS TO CALL DISPATCH TO ASK THEM TO REFILE OUR FLT PLAN. WHEN I CAME BACK TO ACFT, GND CREW WAS READY TO START R ENG. WE DID BOXED ITEM CHKLIST AND STARTED ENG. I DID NOT REALIZE WE HAD NEVER FINISHED BEFORE START CHKLIST WHICH HAD A FUEL CHK ON IT. EVERYTHING PROCEEDED NORMALLY FROM THEN UNTIL TAXI. AFTER RECEIVING TAXI CLRNC I STARTED TO TAXI OFF RAMP AND REALIZED WE HAD 1600 LBS OF FUEL NOT THE REQUIRED 2600 LBS. I TOLD FO TO TELL GND CTL WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO GATE. I TOLD COMPANY OPS WE NEEDED FUEL. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN ACFT I RAN INTO OPS, CALLED COMPANY DISPATCH, TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND AMENDED RELEASE. WE GOT FUEL AND REST OF FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. CAUSES OF MY OVERSIGHT WERE, GETTING INTERRUPTED DURING CHKLIST, NOT FINISHING CHKLIST IMMEDIATELY AND NOT DOING A FINAL WALKAROUND ON LAST RETURN TO ACFT, AND THINKING I HAD COMPLETED A CHKLIST WHICH WE HAD NOT COMPLETED.

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.