Narrative:

We had been running late all day and upon arrival at ord we were informed of an aircraft switch. Our next aircraft arrival late. So we were once again going to be late for our last of 7 legs. When I arrival at the aircraft the captain was already inside. I put my equipment in the cockpit as the ramp agents were loading bags through the forward crew door. The captain and I did the crew acceptance checklist. When we got down to fuel quantity we stopped the checklist and stated 'holding on fuel' (fuel is the last item on the checklist). Just then an acm showed up. He had requested to ride up front. He had never ridden in the jumpseat of our type of aircraft so he required a full crew briefing. The captain and I moved our crew bags so the acm could erect the jumpseat. The captain started the acm crew brief. I then got the ATIS and clearance and set up the radios for departure. I helped the captain finish the acm brief by demonstrating the operation of emergency exit and escape strap. The acm had just strapped in when the agents signaled to start #2. (This had not been the first time they gave the start signal.) the captain called for the start check. After a very short taxi (3 min) we were off on a normal flight. Upon reaching our cruising altitude of 11000' the captain noticed the low fuel quantity. We then made the decision not to continue as planned and would stop at the next on line airport. A normal descent and landing were made. I believe we missed the fuel because of the distraction of the acm at the time we got to fuel on the checklist. Also the fact that the fuel quantity. Is the last item on the checklist and it is not duplicated on the before takeoff checklist. (3 other items are duplicated). Also being late and rushed by the ground crew. Suggestions: put fuel quantity first on before start checklist. Duplicate fuel quantity on before takeoff checklist. Require acm's to board with crew. Have ground crew in the loop of fueling. If a checklist is not written to aid in our poor human memories, it is worthless. The checklist is FAA approved. Supplemental information from acn 81928. We had destination fuel but not alternate. I calculated that we had enough fuel to reach our destination, but inadequate contingency since an alternate was technically required.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT DEPARTED ORD WITH INCORRECT FUEL LOAD. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE FOR FUEL.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN RUNNING LATE ALL DAY AND UPON ARR AT ORD WE WERE INFORMED OF AN ACFT SWITCH. OUR NEXT ACFT ARR LATE. SO WE WERE ONCE AGAIN GOING TO BE LATE FOR OUR LAST OF 7 LEGS. WHEN I ARR AT THE ACFT THE CAPT WAS ALREADY INSIDE. I PUT MY EQUIPMENT IN THE COCKPIT AS THE RAMP AGENTS WERE LOADING BAGS THROUGH THE FORWARD CREW DOOR. THE CAPT AND I DID THE CREW ACCEPTANCE CHKLIST. WHEN WE GOT DOWN TO FUEL QUANTITY WE STOPPED THE CHKLIST AND STATED 'HOLDING ON FUEL' (FUEL IS THE LAST ITEM ON THE CHKLIST). JUST THEN AN ACM SHOWED UP. HE HAD REQUESTED TO RIDE UP FRONT. HE HAD NEVER RIDDEN IN THE JUMPSEAT OF OUR TYPE OF ACFT SO HE REQUIRED A FULL CREW BRIEFING. THE CAPT AND I MOVED OUR CREW BAGS SO THE ACM COULD ERECT THE JUMPSEAT. THE CAPT STARTED THE ACM CREW BRIEF. I THEN GOT THE ATIS AND CLRNC AND SET UP THE RADIOS FOR DEP. I HELPED THE CAPT FINISH THE ACM BRIEF BY DEMONSTRATING THE OPERATION OF EMER EXIT AND ESCAPE STRAP. THE ACM HAD JUST STRAPPED IN WHEN THE AGENTS SIGNALED TO START #2. (THIS HAD NOT BEEN THE FIRST TIME THEY GAVE THE START SIGNAL.) THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE START CHK. AFTER A VERY SHORT TAXI (3 MIN) WE WERE OFF ON A NORMAL FLT. UPON REACHING OUR CRUISING ALT OF 11000' THE CAPT NOTICED THE LOW FUEL QUANTITY. WE THEN MADE THE DECISION NOT TO CONTINUE AS PLANNED AND WOULD STOP AT THE NEXT ON LINE ARPT. A NORMAL DSCNT AND LNDG WERE MADE. I BELIEVE WE MISSED THE FUEL BECAUSE OF THE DISTR OF THE ACM AT THE TIME WE GOT TO FUEL ON THE CHKLIST. ALSO THE FACT THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY. IS THE LAST ITEM ON THE CHKLIST AND IT IS NOT DUPLICATED ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. (3 OTHER ITEMS ARE DUPLICATED). ALSO BEING LATE AND RUSHED BY THE GND CREW. SUGGESTIONS: PUT FUEL QUANTITY FIRST ON BEFORE START CHKLIST. DUPLICATE FUEL QUANTITY ON BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. REQUIRE ACM'S TO BOARD WITH CREW. HAVE GND CREW IN THE LOOP OF FUELING. IF A CHKLIST IS NOT WRITTEN TO AID IN OUR POOR HUMAN MEMORIES, IT IS WORTHLESS. THE CHKLIST IS FAA APPROVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 81928. WE HAD DEST FUEL BUT NOT ALTERNATE. I CALCULATED THAT WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH OUR DEST, BUT INADEQUATE CONTINGENCY SINCE AN ALTERNATE WAS TECHNICALLY REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.