Narrative:

While performing my preflight duties, I noticed a discrepancy between fuel uploaded (allegedly) and fuel gauges. The difference was approximately 3500 pounds. I mentioned to the captain that we had a fuel discrepancy but I probably was not emphatic enough. The captain had already checked the logbook and signed for the aircraft. In the flurry of activity in finishing my preflight and trying to perform my other duties as a new hire with limited experience, I let the fuel problem slip and did not contact maintenance to verify fuel density or drip-stick the tanks. There was adequate fuel despite the discrepancy for the flight to be safely completed, so I was not too concerned in that regard. While en route back to our home base, I remembered that I had not written up the fuel discrepancy as is required by company rules if in excess of 3000 pounds. So I wrote it up in the logbook, not aware that I was creating an open entry in the logbook that should have been signed off prior to flight. This was brought to my attention by the captain yesterday as he had been made aware of it by the first officer after completion of the flight and our going separate ways. He made it clear that it is in violation to take off with an open write-up and we should have cleared it by sticking the tanks or recalculating with actual fuel density. He was unaware that the discrepancy was over 3000 pounds and that I had written it up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-63 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN OPEN LOG RPT ON A 3500 LB FUEL DISCREPANCY BTWN THE FUEL BOARDED AND THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS.

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING MY PREFLT DUTIES, I NOTICED A DISCREPANCY BTWN FUEL UPLOADED (ALLEGEDLY) AND FUEL GAUGES. THE DIFFERENCE WAS APPROX 3500 LBS. I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT WE HAD A FUEL DISCREPANCY BUT I PROBABLY WAS NOT EMPHATIC ENOUGH. THE CAPT HAD ALREADY CHKED THE LOGBOOK AND SIGNED FOR THE ACFT. IN THE FLURRY OF ACTIVITY IN FINISHING MY PREFLT AND TRYING TO PERFORM MY OTHER DUTIES AS A NEW HIRE WITH LIMITED EXPERIENCE, I LET THE FUEL PROB SLIP AND DID NOT CONTACT MAINT TO VERIFY FUEL DENSITY OR DRIP-STICK THE TANKS. THERE WAS ADEQUATE FUEL DESPITE THE DISCREPANCY FOR THE FLT TO BE SAFELY COMPLETED, SO I WAS NOT TOO CONCERNED IN THAT REGARD. WHILE ENRTE BACK TO OUR HOME BASE, I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD NOT WRITTEN UP THE FUEL DISCREPANCY AS IS REQUIRED BY COMPANY RULES IF IN EXCESS OF 3000 LBS. SO I WROTE IT UP IN THE LOGBOOK, NOT AWARE THAT I WAS CREATING AN OPEN ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNED OFF PRIOR TO FLT. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN BY THE CAPT YESTERDAY AS HE HAD BEEN MADE AWARE OF IT BY THE FO AFTER COMPLETION OF THE FLT AND OUR GOING SEPARATE WAYS. HE MADE IT CLR THAT IT IS IN VIOLATION TO TAKE OFF WITH AN OPEN WRITE-UP AND WE SHOULD HAVE CLRED IT BY STICKING THE TANKS OR RECALCULATING WITH ACTUAL FUEL DENSITY. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THE DISCREPANCY WAS OVER 3000 LBS AND THAT I HAD WRITTEN IT UP.

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.