Narrative:

When we arrived at the aircraft we were informed by the gateway personnel that their pinter was acting up. Our first flight release was missing WX and NOTAMS for the destination airfield. As a crew; we looked at what release information we had and saw a re-dispatch flight release to vhhh. The alternate was vmmc. With the re-dispatch we were landing at vhhh with 16.7 pounds of fuel. Flight X that was departing 5 mins after us and was dispatched by the same dispatcher the same way (re-dispatched). This low amount of fuel was a great concern to the entire crew and the fact that the gateway personnel said we would have to request new paperwork to get a good copy made us make a sat call to our dispatcher. We asked the dispatcher for new paperwork because of the printer problem and requested 10000 more pounds of fuel. (We were fueled to 140.0 because the gateway personnel could not bring themselves to put such a low amount of fuel on the aircraft (132.1) and they could not understand why the fuel load was so much lower than the normal 150.0 to 154.0 that most flts have. Our flight release showed us with a total fuel of 132100 pounds.) the dispatcher came back in a very negative tone and said he would not take a delay for paperwork and that he was not giving us more fuel and hung up. We called him back and informed him that we need proper paperwork with WX and NOTAMS and that we were putting the fuel on. (Flight X put on an additional 7000 pounds of fuel.) after 54 mins; 5 flight releases were brought out to the aircraft; 1 re-dispatched and 4 direct dispatch to vhhh. The captain accidentally signed 3 copies of the flight release and when airborne; I as the relief pilot noticed that 1 copy was a direct dispatch and the other was a re-dispatch flight release and both were signed by the captain. Our corrective action was to confirm via satcom which version of the release we were released for flight under and to confirm with the gateway personnel that they had the same version as us and that it was 'ry' with 7000 pounds above emergency fuel is not a good practice and re-dispatch a flight when you are trying to move a lot of volume not an empty airplane!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 FLT CREW IS DISPATCHED WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE TRIP.

Narrative: WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT WE WERE INFORMED BY THE GATEWAY PERSONNEL THAT THEIR PINTER WAS ACTING UP. OUR FIRST FLT RELEASE WAS MISSING WX AND NOTAMS FOR THE DEST AIRFIELD. AS A CREW; WE LOOKED AT WHAT RELEASE INFO WE HAD AND SAW A RE-DISPATCH FLT RELEASE TO VHHH. THE ALTERNATE WAS VMMC. WITH THE RE-DISPATCH WE WERE LNDG AT VHHH WITH 16.7 LBS OF FUEL. FLT X THAT WAS DEPARTING 5 MINS AFTER US AND WAS DISPATCHED BY THE SAME DISPATCHER THE SAME WAY (RE-DISPATCHED). THIS LOW AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS A GREAT CONCERN TO THE ENTIRE CREW AND THE FACT THAT THE GATEWAY PERSONNEL SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST NEW PAPERWORK TO GET A GOOD COPY MADE US MAKE A SAT CALL TO OUR DISPATCHER. WE ASKED THE DISPATCHER FOR NEW PAPERWORK BECAUSE OF THE PRINTER PROB AND REQUESTED 10000 MORE LBS OF FUEL. (WE WERE FUELED TO 140.0 BECAUSE THE GATEWAY PERSONNEL COULD NOT BRING THEMSELVES TO PUT SUCH A LOW AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE ACFT (132.1) AND THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE FUEL LOAD WAS SO MUCH LOWER THAN THE NORMAL 150.0 TO 154.0 THAT MOST FLTS HAVE. OUR FLT RELEASE SHOWED US WITH A TOTAL FUEL OF 132100 LBS.) THE DISPATCHER CAME BACK IN A VERY NEGATIVE TONE AND SAID HE WOULD NOT TAKE A DELAY FOR PAPERWORK AND THAT HE WAS NOT GIVING US MORE FUEL AND HUNG UP. WE CALLED HIM BACK AND INFORMED HIM THAT WE NEED PROPER PAPERWORK WITH WX AND NOTAMS AND THAT WE WERE PUTTING THE FUEL ON. (FLT X PUT ON AN ADDITIONAL 7000 LBS OF FUEL.) AFTER 54 MINS; 5 FLT RELEASES WERE BROUGHT OUT TO THE ACFT; 1 RE-DISPATCHED AND 4 DIRECT DISPATCH TO VHHH. THE CAPT ACCIDENTALLY SIGNED 3 COPIES OF THE FLT RELEASE AND WHEN AIRBORNE; I AS THE RELIEF PLT NOTICED THAT 1 COPY WAS A DIRECT DISPATCH AND THE OTHER WAS A RE-DISPATCH FLT RELEASE AND BOTH WERE SIGNED BY THE CAPT. OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TO CONFIRM VIA SATCOM WHICH VERSION OF THE RELEASE WE WERE RELEASED FOR FLT UNDER AND TO CONFIRM WITH THE GATEWAY PERSONNEL THAT THEY HAD THE SAME VERSION AS US AND THAT IT WAS 'RY' WITH 7000 LBS ABOVE EMER FUEL IS NOT A GOOD PRACTICE AND RE-DISPATCH A FLT WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MOVE A LOT OF VOLUME NOT AN EMPTY AIRPLANE!

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.