B747-400 flight crew takeoff with less than cleared fuel.

Attributes
ACN	720939
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	720939
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 154 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 5533
ASRS Report	720936
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Inadvertently; we took off with less than our cleared fuel. To back up; we had problems in dispatch with the forecast WX being marginal for our arrival; and asked that an alternate be added. Even with 2 sydney flts this night; the load planner filled up our aircraft to maximum and sent the other one out light. At the blocks the fueler had problems with the paperwork and used the wrong fuel density for the fuel load. He did fix it eventually; he topped off the tanks and the pumps shut off; less than what we would normally take as the normal taxi fuel. Not that much a problem yet. Then when we taxied out; however; there was a much longer line of aircraft and caused a further delay in our takeoff. When the final weights came across; they were over 2000 pound increase in zero fuel weight (I think somewhere around a 3000 pound increase; I don't think they took off the cargo I had asked to be removed while still in the flight planning room) so the bunkie sent a message to dispatch. To make a long story short; she sent to dispatcher the current fuel load of 375.0 just as we took #1 for takeoff and release 6 came across our printer. The printer was starting with printing page 2 of 2; and we didn't see the first part to realize the dispatcher was using the wrong fuel load for that plan. Unfortunately; I made the assumption that with the new release printing we were legal with dispatch and sent him an acceptance for release 6 and took off. After the complete flight plan filed printed; I realized my mistake. In hindsight; I should have first gotten the dispatcher on the satcom and talked directly to him. We could have said to remove the alternate and we would have gained back 12500 pounds of fuel. As it was; I think we were 1300 pounds lower than we needed to have the correct cleared fuel. Secondly; I should have gone back to the gate and straightened this out; pulling off more cargo again and topped off the fuel. After takeoff we decided to continue and see how it worked out after contacting the dispatcher. As it was; we had more than enough fuel at the re-dispatch point even with the alternate; despite the alternate not being required.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 FLT CREW TKOF WITH LESS THAN CLRED FUEL.

Narrative: INADVERTENTLY; WE TOOK OFF WITH LESS THAN OUR CLRED FUEL. TO BACK UP; WE HAD PROBS IN DISPATCH WITH THE FORECAST WX BEING MARGINAL FOR OUR ARR; AND ASKED THAT AN ALTERNATE BE ADDED. EVEN WITH 2 SYDNEY FLTS THIS NIGHT; THE LOAD PLANNER FILLED UP OUR ACFT TO MAX AND SENT THE OTHER ONE OUT LIGHT. AT THE BLOCKS THE FUELER HAD PROBS WITH THE PAPERWORK AND USED THE WRONG FUEL DENSITY FOR THE FUEL LOAD. HE DID FIX IT EVENTUALLY; HE TOPPED OFF THE TANKS AND THE PUMPS SHUT OFF; LESS THAN WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY TAKE AS THE NORMAL TAXI FUEL. NOT THAT MUCH A PROB YET. THEN WHEN WE TAXIED OUT; HOWEVER; THERE WAS A MUCH LONGER LINE OF ACFT AND CAUSED A FURTHER DELAY IN OUR TKOF. WHEN THE FINAL WTS CAME ACROSS; THEY WERE OVER 2000 LB INCREASE IN ZERO FUEL WT (I THINK SOMEWHERE AROUND A 3000 LB INCREASE; I DON'T THINK THEY TOOK OFF THE CARGO I HAD ASKED TO BE REMOVED WHILE STILL IN THE FLT PLANNING ROOM) SO THE BUNKIE SENT A MESSAGE TO DISPATCH. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT; SHE SENT TO DISPATCHER THE CURRENT FUEL LOAD OF 375.0 JUST AS WE TOOK #1 FOR TKOF AND RELEASE 6 CAME ACROSS OUR PRINTER. THE PRINTER WAS STARTING WITH PRINTING PAGE 2 OF 2; AND WE DIDN'T SEE THE FIRST PART TO REALIZE THE DISPATCHER WAS USING THE WRONG FUEL LOAD FOR THAT PLAN. UNFORTUNATELY; I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT WITH THE NEW RELEASE PRINTING WE WERE LEGAL WITH DISPATCH AND SENT HIM AN ACCEPTANCE FOR RELEASE 6 AND TOOK OFF. AFTER THE COMPLETE FLT PLAN FILED PRINTED; I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE FIRST GOTTEN THE DISPATCHER ON THE SATCOM AND TALKED DIRECTLY TO HIM. WE COULD HAVE SAID TO REMOVE THE ALTERNATE AND WE WOULD HAVE GAINED BACK 12500 LBS OF FUEL. AS IT WAS; I THINK WE WERE 1300 LBS LOWER THAN WE NEEDED TO HAVE THE CORRECT CLRED FUEL. SECONDLY; I SHOULD HAVE GONE BACK TO THE GATE AND STRAIGHTENED THIS OUT; PULLING OFF MORE CARGO AGAIN AND TOPPED OFF THE FUEL. AFTER TKOF WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE AND SEE HOW IT WORKED OUT AFTER CONTACTING THE DISPATCHER. AS IT WAS; WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL AT THE RE-DISPATCH POINT EVEN WITH THE ALTERNATE; DESPITE THE ALTERNATE NOT BEING REQUIRED.

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.