A B717 crew departed with less than dispatch release fuel. They subsequently returned to refuel.

Attributes
ACN	650211
Time
Date	200503
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Turbulence Rain Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : hnl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B717 (Formerly MD-95)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	650211
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 400 flight time total : 25400 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	650228
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed as precaution none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Company Cabin Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

First officer completed cockpit set-up noting fuel at 5800 pounds. (Dispatch fuel for flight was 10000 pounds.) did exterior walkaround. Captain noted fuel. Completed checklist with 'fueling to go.' flight attendant entered cockpit with cabin discrepancy. Captain called maintenance. Maintenance came. Captain discussed cabin problem with maintenance cleared. Pushed back (1 min behind schedule). 1 of the 2 txwys to active runway closed. Ramp congestion needing more vigilance outside airplane than looking at computers. First officer received load closeout via ACARS. But 'uplink' of power; flaps; v-spds; to computer did not occur. First officer tried a few times to get uplink; then requested tps. Tps came and numbers were manually entered computer. Important to know that closeout and tps showed dispatch fuel even though less than dispatch fuel was actually on plane. First officer checked numbers on tps and closeout but failed to notice computer showing the actual fuel. This may be due to interruption of regular routine when uplink failed. Departed hnl. Captain performed climb check at 5000 ft and noticed fuel at approximately 5000 pounds. Returned to land at hnl and landed with 4400 pounds. Summary: heavy rain distraction. Interrupted normal routines. Flight attendant and mechanic distraction flight crew during checks. Taxi to runway not normal due to WX; taxi closures; and uplink failure. 'Insufficient fuel' not displayed on mcdu. Dispatch computers showed that proper fuel load had not been pumped. Dispatchers failed to notice discrepancy until return for landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B717 CREW DEPARTED WITH LESS THAN DISPATCH RELEASE FUEL. THEY SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO REFUEL.

Narrative: FO COMPLETED COCKPIT SET-UP NOTING FUEL AT 5800 LBS. (DISPATCH FUEL FOR FLT WAS 10000 LBS.) DID EXTERIOR WALKAROUND. CAPT NOTED FUEL. COMPLETED CHKLIST WITH 'FUELING TO GO.' FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED COCKPIT WITH CABIN DISCREPANCY. CAPT CALLED MAINT. MAINT CAME. CAPT DISCUSSED CABIN PROB WITH MAINT CLRED. PUSHED BACK (1 MIN BEHIND SCHEDULE). 1 OF THE 2 TXWYS TO ACTIVE RWY CLOSED. RAMP CONGESTION NEEDING MORE VIGILANCE OUTSIDE AIRPLANE THAN LOOKING AT COMPUTERS. FO RECEIVED LOAD CLOSEOUT VIA ACARS. BUT 'UPLINK' OF PWR; FLAPS; V-SPDS; TO COMPUTER DID NOT OCCUR. FO TRIED A FEW TIMES TO GET UPLINK; THEN REQUESTED TPS. TPS CAME AND NUMBERS WERE MANUALLY ENTERED COMPUTER. IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT CLOSEOUT AND TPS SHOWED DISPATCH FUEL EVEN THOUGH LESS THAN DISPATCH FUEL WAS ACTUALLY ON PLANE. FO CHECKED NUMBERS ON TPS AND CLOSEOUT BUT FAILED TO NOTICE COMPUTER SHOWING THE ACTUAL FUEL. THIS MAY BE DUE TO INTERRUPTION OF REGULAR ROUTINE WHEN UPLINK FAILED. DEPARTED HNL. CAPT PERFORMED CLB CHK AT 5000 FT AND NOTICED FUEL AT APPROX 5000 LBS. RETURNED TO LAND AT HNL AND LANDED WITH 4400 LBS. SUMMARY: HVY RAIN DISTR. INTERRUPTED NORMAL ROUTINES. FLT ATTENDANT AND MECH DISTR FLT CREW DURING CHKS. TAXI TO RWY NOT NORMAL DUE TO WX; TAXI CLOSURES; AND UPLINK FAILURE. 'INSUFFICIENT FUEL' NOT DISPLAYED ON MCDU. DISPATCH COMPUTERS SHOWED THAT PROPER FUEL LOAD HAD NOT BEEN PUMPED. DISPATCHERS FAILED TO NOTICE DISCREPANCY UNTIL RETURN FOR LNDG.

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.