Narrative:

I requested fuel from FBO at bwi at XA25 then checked the WX and filed my flight plan (IFR). I had written on the fuel request form that I wanted 25 gals in each side (outboards only). When returning from the flight planning room I went to the front desk to pay for my fuel. After waiting in line, the desk person took my payment for the fuel by accessing the computer which showed I had requested 50 gals total of 110LL. Nothing was said that they had not fueled me yet. It was 30 mins after the request now at XB05. I preflted the plane and checked the outboard tanks. The color and grade was good and I stuck my fingers in the tanks and touched the fuel. It appeared ok. I left bwi with a 30 KT headwind and the mains about 3/4 full. The fuel gauges looked a little low but all training says not to trust the fuel gauges unless they say empty. I started to wonder though, if they had put the fuel in the mains instead of the outboards because the outboards ran out quicker than I thought they should. I started considering and calculating the scenario of if they had not fueled me. I figured I had enough fuel to make clt destination. If I had any passenger I would have stopped to refuel but I was by myself and decided to keep going. I had also thought of other pilots that had mentioned they had come in with little fuel and I didn't want to seem too over-cautious and I knew it might cost me money to stop early. I trusted my calculation that much. As I got closer I stayed aware of airports close by. After being switched to approach (clt) I started getting vectored around. I had already canceled IFR to keep from having to fly the STAR. I asked the control how much longer and further I was going to be vectored. He answered not more than 12 mi. I decided not to risk and I declared 'minimum fuel.' he asked how much fuel I had and replied about 20 mins. He turned me straight in for the airport and I landed without running out of fuel. I called the FBO on the ground and they said after I left they found my fuel request in the wrong place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT LOW ON FUEL DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL,' TO EXPEDITE HIS ARR.

Narrative: I REQUESTED FUEL FROM FBO AT BWI AT XA25 THEN CHKED THE WX AND FILED MY FLT PLAN (IFR). I HAD WRITTEN ON THE FUEL REQUEST FORM THAT I WANTED 25 GALS IN EACH SIDE (OUTBOARDS ONLY). WHEN RETURNING FROM THE FLT PLANNING ROOM I WENT TO THE FRONT DESK TO PAY FOR MY FUEL. AFTER WAITING IN LINE, THE DESK PERSON TOOK MY PAYMENT FOR THE FUEL BY ACCESSING THE COMPUTER WHICH SHOWED I HAD REQUESTED 50 GALS TOTAL OF 110LL. NOTHING WAS SAID THAT THEY HAD NOT FUELED ME YET. IT WAS 30 MINS AFTER THE REQUEST NOW AT XB05. I PREFLTED THE PLANE AND CHKED THE OUTBOARD TANKS. THE COLOR AND GRADE WAS GOOD AND I STUCK MY FINGERS IN THE TANKS AND TOUCHED THE FUEL. IT APPEARED OK. I LEFT BWI WITH A 30 KT HEADWIND AND THE MAINS ABOUT 3/4 FULL. THE FUEL GAUGES LOOKED A LITTLE LOW BUT ALL TRAINING SAYS NOT TO TRUST THE FUEL GAUGES UNLESS THEY SAY EMPTY. I STARTED TO WONDER THOUGH, IF THEY HAD PUT THE FUEL IN THE MAINS INSTEAD OF THE OUTBOARDS BECAUSE THE OUTBOARDS RAN OUT QUICKER THAN I THOUGHT THEY SHOULD. I STARTED CONSIDERING AND CALCULATING THE SCENARIO OF IF THEY HAD NOT FUELED ME. I FIGURED I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE CLT DEST. IF I HAD ANY PAX I WOULD HAVE STOPPED TO REFUEL BUT I WAS BY MYSELF AND DECIDED TO KEEP GOING. I HAD ALSO THOUGHT OF OTHER PLTS THAT HAD MENTIONED THEY HAD COME IN WITH LITTLE FUEL AND I DIDN'T WANT TO SEEM TOO OVER-CAUTIOUS AND I KNEW IT MIGHT COST ME MONEY TO STOP EARLY. I TRUSTED MY CALCULATION THAT MUCH. AS I GOT CLOSER I STAYED AWARE OF ARPTS CLOSE BY. AFTER BEING SWITCHED TO APCH (CLT) I STARTED GETTING VECTORED AROUND. I HAD ALREADY CANCELED IFR TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO FLY THE STAR. I ASKED THE CTL HOW MUCH LONGER AND FURTHER I WAS GOING TO BE VECTORED. HE ANSWERED NOT MORE THAN 12 MI. I DECIDED NOT TO RISK AND I DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL.' HE ASKED HOW MUCH FUEL I HAD AND REPLIED ABOUT 20 MINS. HE TURNED ME STRAIGHT IN FOR THE ARPT AND I LANDED WITHOUT RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. I CALLED THE FBO ON THE GND AND THEY SAID AFTER I LEFT THEY FOUND MY FUEL REQUEST IN THE WRONG PLACE.

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.