Air carrier crew departs without cleared fuel load onboard in den.

Attributes
ACN	423746
Time
Date	199812
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	423746
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	423751
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight from den to ewr. The dispatch release called for a cleared fuel load of 24400 pounds. The fueler brought the fuel service sheet to the cockpit and left. I did my review of the fuel service sheet and noticed that we had been fueled with a load of 24400 pounds and no additional fuel for taxi. I then brought it to the captain's attention. Taking into account the lateness of our flight, in an effort to save time without compromising safety, we both agreed to count some of the fuel allocated for holding as taxi fuel and that way we wouldn't need the fuel truck back and take additional delay. Since we took off with a fuel load of 23800 pounds (short of 600 pounds), the company brought to our attention that we had an illegal fuel load. As a crew, we valued every factor involved in our flight giving utmost priority to the safety of our passenger, but omitted the contact with dispatch in order to get a revised flight release with the updated holding fuel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRED FUEL LOAD ONBOARD IN DEN.

Narrative: FLT FROM DEN TO EWR. THE DISPATCH RELEASE CALLED FOR A CLRED FUEL LOAD OF 24400 LBS. THE FUELER BROUGHT THE FUEL SVC SHEET TO THE COCKPIT AND LEFT. I DID MY REVIEW OF THE FUEL SVC SHEET AND NOTICED THAT WE HAD BEEN FUELED WITH A LOAD OF 24400 LBS AND NO ADDITIONAL FUEL FOR TAXI. I THEN BROUGHT IT TO THE CAPT'S ATTN. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE LATENESS OF OUR FLT, IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE TIME WITHOUT COMPROMISING SAFETY, WE BOTH AGREED TO COUNT SOME OF THE FUEL ALLOCATED FOR HOLDING AS TAXI FUEL AND THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T NEED THE FUEL TRUCK BACK AND TAKE ADDITIONAL DELAY. SINCE WE TOOK OFF WITH A FUEL LOAD OF 23800 LBS (SHORT OF 600 LBS), THE COMPANY BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN THAT WE HAD AN ILLEGAL FUEL LOAD. AS A CREW, WE VALUED EVERY FACTOR INVOLVED IN OUR FLT GIVING UTMOST PRIORITY TO THE SAFETY OF OUR PAX, BUT OMITTED THE CONTACT WITH DISPATCH IN ORDER TO GET A REVISED FLT RELEASE WITH THE UPDATED HOLDING FUEL.

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.