Narrative:

Roughly 1/2 way between ZZZ1 and ZZZ, we completed our cruise checklist en route to ZZZ2, we realized we departed with less than minimum release fuel. This was due to accidentally misreading our fuel gauges before departure. Our ramp fuel on the release was 2400 pounds. We read our fuel gauges to have 2700 pounds. We figured we were good to go with 300 pounds over ramp fuel. In actuality, we had 1700 pounds and had misread the gauges. The problem arose from a variety of issues. The first was my fatigue. The previous night I was unable to get any rest at the hotel. My room had had the woodwork stained that day, and then they stuck me in it, fumes and all. I figured it would be alright, so I went to bed. I was unable to get any sleep. The result was my being a lot less sharp than normal the following day. We flew the entire 3 day trip uneventfully until the last leg. It was the first spring like day -- nice and warm. The fuel truck never showed up. Being tired and relaxed, with beautiful WX and with 1 short leg to go before 3 days off, we were not as sharp as normal. We boarded the aircraft for departure, completed the checklists, and 'misread and confirmed' our fuel quantity. The next issue was the psychological aspect of my initially misinterping our fuel quantity, and then the first officer confirming it. Once I read 2700 pounds and he confirmed it. That is what we knew we must have on board! (It had always been that way before.) we had agreed we had the gas, so the next time we crossed over fuel quantity on the before takeoff check, we didn't actually look at the gauges as if we were seeing them for the first time. We departed with 1700 pounds of fuel. We immediately relayed our situation to dispatch as we completed the cruise check and realized what had happened. We had about 1300 pounds when we first called them, and were about 30 mi east of ZZZ en route to ZZZ1. Dispatch said they would run our fuel numbers and call us back to determine if we had enough gas to continue. Dispatch told us that with our 1150 pounds over ZZZ airport, with no delays we could make it and land with minimum reserve fuel in ZZZ2. Our math told us differently with current winds and indicates fuel burn. We figured we would land with 350 pounds/side, which was well below our minimum fuel of 860 pounds. We were not comfortable with this, even were we to land with minimum, as something always comes up to delay us when least expected or needed. This could have caused an emergency. We decided to break the error chain here and land in ZZZ to take on fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SAAB 340 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH 1000 LBS SHORT OF THE REQUIRED FUEL LOAD. CAUSED BY MISREADING THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS.

Narrative: ROUGHLY 1/2 WAY BTWN ZZZ1 AND ZZZ, WE COMPLETED OUR CRUISE CHKLIST ENRTE TO ZZZ2, WE REALIZED WE DEPARTED WITH LESS THAN MINIMUM RELEASE FUEL. THIS WAS DUE TO ACCIDENTALLY MISREADING OUR FUEL GAUGES BEFORE DEP. OUR RAMP FUEL ON THE RELEASE WAS 2400 LBS. WE READ OUR FUEL GAUGES TO HAVE 2700 LBS. WE FIGURED WE WERE GOOD TO GO WITH 300 LBS OVER RAMP FUEL. IN ACTUALITY, WE HAD 1700 LBS AND HAD MISREAD THE GAUGES. THE PROB AROSE FROM A VARIETY OF ISSUES. THE FIRST WAS MY FATIGUE. THE PREVIOUS NIGHT I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY REST AT THE HOTEL. MY ROOM HAD HAD THE WOODWORK STAINED THAT DAY, AND THEN THEY STUCK ME IN IT, FUMES AND ALL. I FIGURED IT WOULD BE ALRIGHT, SO I WENT TO BED. I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY SLEEP. THE RESULT WAS MY BEING A LOT LESS SHARP THAN NORMAL THE FOLLOWING DAY. WE FLEW THE ENTIRE 3 DAY TRIP UNEVENTFULLY UNTIL THE LAST LEG. IT WAS THE FIRST SPRING LIKE DAY -- NICE AND WARM. THE FUEL TRUCK NEVER SHOWED UP. BEING TIRED AND RELAXED, WITH BEAUTIFUL WX AND WITH 1 SHORT LEG TO GO BEFORE 3 DAYS OFF, WE WERE NOT AS SHARP AS NORMAL. WE BOARDED THE ACFT FOR DEP, COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS, AND 'MISREAD AND CONFIRMED' OUR FUEL QUANTITY. THE NEXT ISSUE WAS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF MY INITIALLY MISINTERPING OUR FUEL QUANTITY, AND THEN THE FO CONFIRMING IT. ONCE I READ 2700 LBS AND HE CONFIRMED IT. THAT IS WHAT WE KNEW WE MUST HAVE ON BOARD! (IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY BEFORE.) WE HAD AGREED WE HAD THE GAS, SO THE NEXT TIME WE CROSSED OVER FUEL QUANTITY ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHK, WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE GAUGES AS IF WE WERE SEEING THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE DEPARTED WITH 1700 LBS OF FUEL. WE IMMEDIATELY RELAYED OUR SIT TO DISPATCH AS WE COMPLETED THE CRUISE CHK AND REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE HAD ABOUT 1300 LBS WHEN WE FIRST CALLED THEM, AND WERE ABOUT 30 MI E OF ZZZ ENRTE TO ZZZ1. DISPATCH SAID THEY WOULD RUN OUR FUEL NUMBERS AND CALL US BACK TO DETERMINE IF WE HAD ENOUGH GAS TO CONTINUE. DISPATCH TOLD US THAT WITH OUR 1150 LBS OVER ZZZ ARPT, WITH NO DELAYS WE COULD MAKE IT AND LAND WITH MINIMUM RESERVE FUEL IN ZZZ2. OUR MATH TOLD US DIFFERENTLY WITH CURRENT WINDS AND INDICATES FUEL BURN. WE FIGURED WE WOULD LAND WITH 350 LBS/SIDE, WHICH WAS WELL BELOW OUR MINIMUM FUEL OF 860 LBS. WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, EVEN WERE WE TO LAND WITH MINIMUM, AS SOMETHING ALWAYS COMES UP TO DELAY US WHEN LEAST EXPECTED OR NEEDED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN EMER. WE DECIDED TO BREAK THE ERROR CHAIN HERE AND LAND IN ZZZ TO TAKE ON 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.