Narrative:

Night freight operation. First night doing this particular run. Before leaving on first leg of flight, asked dispatcher what usual amount of fuel was. Plan was to have enough fuel for the night without refueling. Last leg at dawn uca-teb. Before takeoff cursory glance at fuel gauges seemed to show sufficient fuel. About halfway back it became obvious insufficient fuel to reach teb. Now wide awake. Advised center 'had a fuel problem and needed to divert to swf.' upon transfer to approach, advised 'minimum fuel'. Landed with about 15 min remaining. Turns out dispatcher didn't really know. Pilot previously doing run told me on a couple of occasions also landed with 'less fuel than he should have'. Company had only been doing this run for a couple of weeks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX DEPARTED WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH DESTINATION.

Narrative: NIGHT FREIGHT OPERATION. FIRST NIGHT DOING THIS PARTICULAR RUN. BEFORE LEAVING ON FIRST LEG OF FLT, ASKED DISPATCHER WHAT USUAL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS. PLAN WAS TO HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE NIGHT WITHOUT REFUELING. LAST LEG AT DAWN UCA-TEB. BEFORE TKOF CURSORY GLANCE AT FUEL GAUGES SEEMED TO SHOW SUFFICIENT FUEL. ABOUT HALFWAY BACK IT BECAME OBVIOUS INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH TEB. NOW WIDE AWAKE. ADVISED CENTER 'HAD A FUEL PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO DIVERT TO SWF.' UPON TRANSFER TO APCH, ADVISED 'MINIMUM FUEL'. LANDED WITH ABOUT 15 MIN REMAINING. TURNS OUT DISPATCHER DIDN'T REALLY KNOW. PLT PREVIOUSLY DOING RUN TOLD ME ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS ALSO LANDED WITH 'LESS FUEL THAN HE SHOULD HAVE'. COMPANY HAD ONLY BEEN DOING THIS RUN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.