Narrative:

Before takeoff checklist was run and captain responded with '8700 pounds of fuel on board' and I (first officer) responded with '8496 pounds of fuel on the release.' I responded by looking at the release and not the current fuel load. After departure; we realized that there was only 4000 pounds of fuel on board and immediately notified dispatch and diverted to ZZZ1. Problem arose when neither crew member recognized the low fuel situation at the gate. Crew had 3 consecutive show times early morning. Crew had 5 legs scheduled day of incident. Incident happened on 4TH leg. Problem was discovered on the climb out. Diverted to ZZZ1 without any other incident. I will make a recommendation to the company for possible revision to the checklist. Supplemental information from acn 643485: another issue that we had was that due to fuel status we did not have a viable alternate to go to. A reason that we believe we missed the fuel is that we did not get flight release into aircraft until 20 mins prior to departure when the passenger were boarding. Also; this trip had extreme early starts and 15 legs in 4 days. Both I and first officer were very tired. Supplemental information from acn 643470: the crew called me and stated that they ran all the checklists and departed; then after they departed they realized that the could not make their destination of ZZZ2. They said things like this happen and that they had been flying since early that morning. I notified my dispatch coordinator and asked him if the crew would need to be drug tested before redispatch to ZZZ2. The dispatch coordinator then went and asked the chief pilot and came back and told me that he had said that if the crew had returned then yes we would have to test them; but because they diverted to ZZZ2 they could continue on. At that time the dispatch supervisor said that we would not want to have them tested in ZZZ2 because we would be stranding passenger in ZZZ2. I wanted a second opinion regarding the testing and I asked another in-flight manager and he told me to call ZZZ1 and have the on-duty manager go and talk with the crew to see if they exhibited any initial signs that we needed to document; before we could have them tested. I called and told the manager that we needed this done; and she called back and stated that she did not see any signs of intoxication; and she felt that the crew was fine to continue on flying this day to ZZZ2. Due to the unsafe number of flts I was working this day; and the unsafe phone and radio system and the unsafe phone policies; I was not able to dispatch the flight to continue on to ZZZ2.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 CREW DEPARTED WITH LESS THAN DISPATCH RELEASE FUEL. THEY SUBSEQUENTLY DIVERTED IN ORDER TO REFUEL.

Narrative: BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS RUN AND CAPT RESPONDED WITH '8700 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD' AND I (FO) RESPONDED WITH '8496 LBS OF FUEL ON THE RELEASE.' I RESPONDED BY LOOKING AT THE RELEASE AND NOT THE CURRENT FUEL LOAD. AFTER DEP; WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS ONLY 4000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND DIVERTED TO ZZZ1. PROB AROSE WHEN NEITHER CREW MEMBER RECOGNIZED THE LOW FUEL SIT AT THE GATE. CREW HAD 3 CONSECUTIVE SHOW TIMES EARLY MORNING. CREW HAD 5 LEGS SCHEDULED DAY OF INCIDENT. INCIDENT HAPPENED ON 4TH LEG. PROB WAS DISCOVERED ON THE CLBOUT. DIVERTED TO ZZZ1 WITHOUT ANY OTHER INCIDENT. I WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMPANY FOR POSSIBLE REVISION TO THE CHKLIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 643485: ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAD WAS THAT DUE TO FUEL STATUS WE DID NOT HAVE A VIABLE ALTERNATE TO GO TO. A REASON THAT WE BELIEVE WE MISSED THE FUEL IS THAT WE DID NOT GET FLT RELEASE INTO ACFT UNTIL 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP WHEN THE PAX WERE BOARDING. ALSO; THIS TRIP HAD EXTREME EARLY STARTS AND 15 LEGS IN 4 DAYS. BOTH I AND FO WERE VERY TIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 643470: THE CREW CALLED ME AND STATED THAT THEY RAN ALL THE CHKLISTS AND DEPARTED; THEN AFTER THEY DEPARTED THEY REALIZED THAT THE COULD NOT MAKE THEIR DESTINATION OF ZZZ2. THEY SAID THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN FLYING SINCE EARLY THAT MORNING. I NOTIFIED MY DISPATCH COORDINATOR AND ASKED HIM IF THE CREW WOULD NEED TO BE DRUG TESTED BEFORE REDISPATCH TO ZZZ2. THE DISPATCH COORDINATOR THEN WENT AND ASKED THE CHIEF PLT AND CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD SAID THAT IF THE CREW HAD RETURNED THEN YES WE WOULD HAVE TO TEST THEM; BUT BECAUSE THEY DIVERTED TO ZZZ2 THEY COULD CONTINUE ON. AT THAT TIME THE DISPATCH SUPVR SAID THAT WE WOULD NOT WANT TO HAVE THEM TESTED IN ZZZ2 BECAUSE WE WOULD BE STRANDING PAX IN ZZZ2. I WANTED A SECOND OPINION REGARDING THE TESTING AND I ASKED ANOTHER INFLT MGR AND HE TOLD ME TO CALL ZZZ1 AND HAVE THE ON-DUTY MGR GO AND TALK WITH THE CREW TO SEE IF THEY EXHIBITED ANY INITIAL SIGNS THAT WE NEEDED TO DOCUMENT; BEFORE WE COULD HAVE THEM TESTED. I CALLED AND TOLD THE MGR THAT WE NEEDED THIS DONE; AND SHE CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT SHE DID NOT SEE ANY SIGNS OF INTOXICATION; AND SHE FELT THAT THE CREW WAS FINE TO CONTINUE ON FLYING THIS DAY TO ZZZ2. DUE TO THE UNSAFE NUMBER OF FLTS I WAS WORKING THIS DAY; AND THE UNSAFE PHONE AND RADIO SYS AND THE UNSAFE PHONE POLICIES; I WAS NOT ABLE TO DISPATCH THE FLT TO CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ2.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.