Narrative:

We departed ind west/O the minimum required fuel. Though there are checklists to keep this from happening it did. Prior to flight many things happened to distract the pilots from noticing a simple thing like fuel. The fuel order had been made as it was everyday at this time, nothing unusual, but it didn't get passed on. The captain was busy with the weight and balance. I was trying to get the clearance. Clearance delivery was very busy, 4 of 5 requests at once. I had a difficult time just requesting it. We had a jumpseater which required my attention for a brief on emergency equipment. The loading was a little late and I had trouble with closing the door. By the time I got back up front to set up the jumpseat, the captain had already started one engine. By the time I was seated with headset on and seat in position, the engines had been started. He then called for after start checklist. I had no part in the before start check (which I assumed to be complete). The before start checklist is the final and only check for departure fuel. This obviously hadn't been done by the captain when I was in back. One more place where the discrepancy should have been caught was the weight and balance also done by the captain. A chart placed sideways in the yoke clip was the reason I didn't notice the fuel in my normal scan, the gauges were blocked. This was discovered by the captain shortly after takeoff and we returned. This unfortunate event occurred in an attempt to save time. Improper use of checklist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO MDT FLT TOOK OFF WITHOUT MINIMUM FUEL REQUIRED FOR FLT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED IND W/O THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FUEL. THOUGH THERE ARE CHKLISTS TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING IT DID. PRIOR TO FLT MANY THINGS HAPPENED TO DISTRACT THE PLTS FROM NOTICING A SIMPLE THING LIKE FUEL. THE FUEL ORDER HAD BEEN MADE AS IT WAS EVERYDAY AT THIS TIME, NOTHING UNUSUAL, BUT IT DIDN'T GET PASSED ON. THE CAPT WAS BUSY WITH THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE. I WAS TRYING TO GET THE CLRNC. CLRNC DELIVERY WAS VERY BUSY, 4 OF 5 REQUESTS AT ONCE. I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME JUST REQUESTING IT. WE HAD A JUMPSEATER WHICH REQUIRED MY ATTN FOR A BRIEF ON EMER EQUIP. THE LOADING WAS A LITTLE LATE AND I HAD TROUBLE WITH CLOSING THE DOOR. BY THE TIME I GOT BACK UP FRONT TO SET UP THE JUMPSEAT, THE CAPT HAD ALREADY STARTED ONE ENG. BY THE TIME I WAS SEATED WITH HEADSET ON AND SEAT IN POS, THE ENGS HAD BEEN STARTED. HE THEN CALLED FOR AFTER START CHKLIST. I HAD NO PART IN THE BEFORE START CHK (WHICH I ASSUMED TO BE COMPLETE). THE BEFORE START CHKLIST IS THE FINAL AND ONLY CHK FOR DEP FUEL. THIS OBVIOUSLY HADN'T BEEN DONE BY THE CAPT WHEN I WAS IN BACK. ONE MORE PLACE WHERE THE DISCREPANCY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT WAS THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE ALSO DONE BY THE CAPT. A CHART PLACED SIDEWAYS IN THE YOKE CLIP WAS THE REASON I DIDN'T NOTICE THE FUEL IN MY NORMAL SCAN, THE GAUGES WERE BLOCKED. THIS WAS DISCOVERED BY THE CAPT SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AND WE RETURNED. THIS UNFORTUNATE EVENT OCCURRED IN AN ATTEMPT TO SAVE TIME. IMPROPER USE OF CHKLIST.

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.