Air carrier has low fuel light illuminate on climb out return land.

Attributes
ACN	227531
Time
Date	199212
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mbj
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial landing other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : dfw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 190
ASRS Report	227531
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After having completed all preflight, start, taxi, and takeoff checklists, airlines flight departed dallas ft worth en route to fort smith, ar. While climbing out of dfw, we were told to expedite climb to 12000 ft, which we did. While climbing and at a high angle of attack, we were given a left turn to heading 350 degrees. During this turn, the right low level fuel light illuminated. The captain then advised approach that we would have to return to dfw and unnecessarily requested priority handling. This turned out to be unnecessary since the low level light extinguished when the nose was lowered and the wings leveled. We were cleared back to dfw at which time we determined that there was 630 pounds of fuel on the aircraft. This amount of fuel gave us IFR reserve plus some. The cause of this was obvious misreading of the fuel gauges during the before start checklist. Fuel computations as follows: aircraft departed lake charles, la, with 2600 pounds of fuel. Fuel burn to dallas = 1510 pounds. Fuel burn from time of departure to fsm until shutdown in dfw = 460 pounds. 2600 pounds, minus 1510 pounds = 1090 pounds, subtract 460 pounds = 630 pounds of fuel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS LOW FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATE ON CLBOUT RETURN LAND.

Narrative: AFTER HAVING COMPLETED ALL PREFLT, START, TAXI, AND TKOF CHKLISTS, AIRLINES FLT DEPARTED DALLAS FT WORTH ENRTE TO FORT SMITH, AR. WHILE CLBING OUT OF DFW, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPEDITE CLB TO 12000 FT, WHICH WE DID. WHILE CLBING AND AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK, WE WERE GIVEN A L TURN TO HDG 350 DEGS. DURING THIS TURN, THE R LOW LEVEL FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT THEN ADVISED APCH THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO DFW AND UNNECESSARILY REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE UNNECESSARY SINCE THE LOW LEVEL LIGHT EXTINGUISHED WHEN THE NOSE WAS LOWERED AND THE WINGS LEVELED. WE WERE CLRED BACK TO DFW AT WHICH TIME WE DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS 630 POUNDS OF FUEL ON THE ACFT. THIS AMOUNT OF FUEL GAVE US IFR RESERVE PLUS SOME. THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS OBVIOUS MISREADING OF THE FUEL GAUGES DURING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. FUEL COMPUTATIONS AS FOLLOWS: ACFT DEPARTED LAKE CHARLES, LA, WITH 2600 POUNDS OF FUEL. FUEL BURN TO DALLAS = 1510 POUNDS. FUEL BURN FROM TIME OF DEP TO FSM UNTIL SHUTDOWN IN DFW = 460 POUNDS. 2600 POUNDS, MINUS 1510 POUNDS = 1090 POUNDS, SUBTRACT 460 POUNDS = 630 POUNDS OF FUEL.

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.