Flight crew discovered after takeoff that they had about one half the fuel planned and shown on dispatch due to misreading the fuel gauges. Flight continued to destination with no fuel problem.

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Attributes
ACN	412137
Time
Date	199808
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	412137
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Took off without dispatched fuel load. 23000 pounds required by release. Fuel on board was about 12000 pounds. Aircraft change 15 mins prior to departure. Manual weight and balance needed and adjustments. Early morning trips and long work days previous, caused fatigue. Misread fuel gauges, assumed mains full and mistook main quantity as center tank when total fuel read on checklist. All checklists read in normal order and manner. Although rushed, time was taken to do each item properly. Improper fuel load noticed after takeoff at gear retraction and landing was made with no further problems and passenger safety was never an issue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DISCOVERED AFTER TKOF THAT THEY HAD ABOUT ONE HALF THE FUEL PLANNED AND SHOWN ON DISPATCH DUE TO MISREADING THE FUEL GAUGES. FLT CONTINUED TO DEST WITH NO FUEL PROB.

Narrative: TOOK OFF WITHOUT DISPATCHED FUEL LOAD. 23000 LBS REQUIRED BY RELEASE. FUEL ON BOARD WAS ABOUT 12000 LBS. ACFT CHANGE 15 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. MANUAL WT AND BAL NEEDED AND ADJUSTMENTS. EARLY MORNING TRIPS AND LONG WORK DAYS PREVIOUS, CAUSED FATIGUE. MISREAD FUEL GAUGES, ASSUMED MAINS FULL AND MISTOOK MAIN QUANTITY AS CTR TANK WHEN TOTAL FUEL READ ON CHKLIST. ALL CHKLISTS READ IN NORMAL ORDER AND MANNER. ALTHOUGH RUSHED, TIME WAS TAKEN TO DO EACH ITEM PROPERLY. IMPROPER FUEL LOAD NOTICED AFTER TKOF AT GEAR RETRACTION AND LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO FURTHER PROBS AND PAX SAFETY WAS NEVER AN ISSUE.

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.