Narrative:

As we received the final fuel confirmation from operations; maintenance knocked on the aircraft and said they were going to 'bring a 10 ft by 6 ft wing panel in the cabin as it would not fit in any cargo bin. The captain and I both missed that the fuel from operations said confirm 25.5 on the fuel; though we had approximately 28.0 at that time. As just then the ACARS dinged and they gave us the numbers. The captain and I were both distraction by the fact that maintenance was planning to place the wing panel in the cabin. The captain and dispatch agreed a loose or even secured wing panel in the passenger cabin was a safety issue regardless of their ability to secure it. We all felt it safer and wiser to leave it for freight. During this; we both missed the fuel. When we got airborne; the captain sent an ACARS message and told them what had happened so we could get the proper numbers. All numbers were the same except fuel on board was 28.0 instead of 25.5; actual takeoff weight was 110.6 instead of 108.1 and center of gravity changed from 29.5 to 29.1 (still within limits). The weight with the APU running that long; and our taxi had brought the weight to below 110 pounds. Takeoff speed card used was the 110.00 card. During taxi checklist; we verified numbers looking at the weight from the gauge where we set the zero fuel weight so the proper speed card was used for takeoff. I guess that is why we verify numbers for takeoff in the checklist. En route burn was below flight plan and as calculated very quickly out of sea we would have more than enough fuel for any problems I felt we might encounter at that point with WX and weight for burn. Takeoff; en route; and landing were uneventful. Numerous distrs contributed to this occurrence. More attention to any ACARS message received will prevent a recurrence of this issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTR BY MAINT; CARGO LOADING; AND OPERATIONAL MESSAGES FROM MANY QUARTERS; FLT CREW OF MD80 FAIL TO NOTE AN ERROR ON THE TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD FOR TKOF.

Narrative: AS WE RECEIVED THE FINAL FUEL CONFIRMATION FROM OPS; MAINT KNOCKED ON THE ACFT AND SAID THEY WERE GOING TO 'BRING A 10 FT BY 6 FT WING PANEL IN THE CABIN AS IT WOULD NOT FIT IN ANY CARGO BIN. THE CAPT AND I BOTH MISSED THAT THE FUEL FROM OPS SAID CONFIRM 25.5 ON THE FUEL; THOUGH WE HAD APPROX 28.0 AT THAT TIME. AS JUST THEN THE ACARS DINGED AND THEY GAVE US THE NUMBERS. THE CAPT AND I WERE BOTH DISTR BY THE FACT THAT MAINT WAS PLANNING TO PLACE THE WING PANEL IN THE CABIN. THE CAPT AND DISPATCH AGREED A LOOSE OR EVEN SECURED WING PANEL IN THE PAX CABIN WAS A SAFETY ISSUE REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO SECURE IT. WE ALL FELT IT SAFER AND WISER TO LEAVE IT FOR FREIGHT. DURING THIS; WE BOTH MISSED THE FUEL. WHEN WE GOT AIRBORNE; THE CAPT SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED SO WE COULD GET THE PROPER NUMBERS. ALL NUMBERS WERE THE SAME EXCEPT FUEL ON BOARD WAS 28.0 INSTEAD OF 25.5; ACTUAL TKOF WT WAS 110.6 INSTEAD OF 108.1 AND CTR OF GRAVITY CHANGED FROM 29.5 TO 29.1 (STILL WITHIN LIMITS). THE WT WITH THE APU RUNNING THAT LONG; AND OUR TAXI HAD BROUGHT THE WT TO BELOW 110 LBS. TKOF SPD CARD USED WAS THE 110.00 CARD. DURING TAXI CHKLIST; WE VERIFIED NUMBERS LOOKING AT THE WT FROM THE GAUGE WHERE WE SET THE ZERO FUEL WT SO THE PROPER SPD CARD WAS USED FOR TKOF. I GUESS THAT IS WHY WE VERIFY NUMBERS FOR TKOF IN THE CHKLIST. ENRTE BURN WAS BELOW FLT PLAN AND AS CALCULATED VERY QUICKLY OUT OF SEA WE WOULD HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL FOR ANY PROBS I FELT WE MIGHT ENCOUNTER AT THAT POINT WITH WX AND WT FOR BURN. TKOF; ENRTE; AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. NUMEROUS DISTRS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE. MORE ATTN TO ANY ACARS MESSAGE RECEIVED WILL PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE.

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.