Narrative:

I misread the fuel required for the flight from ppt to hnl. I read the fuel burnout line and asked the engineer to add an extra 4000 pounds, as the WX at destination was changing. I should have read the bottom line fuel required 13000 pounds higher fuel load. We departed ntaa with inadequate fuel to destination phnl. I realized the error 20-30 mi after departure, approximately 15000 ft MSL on climb out. I then requested return to ntaa and landed without incident. We then refueled aircraft to proper fuel load. We then departed ntaa for phnl. The flight progressed without incident. I believe the contributing factors were crew fatigue and trying to get the aircraft back on time as we had an earlier maintenance delay. The fatigue was caused by a late arrival on the previous flight. We had flown from (ppg pago pago samoa) to hnl arriving at AB00 hst on sun morning, jan/xx/93 after a 5:20 hour flight. I tried to nap when I arrived at the hotel. I was not able to sleep. I then got past the point of being able to sleep. I went to bed at xypm hst, sun night but did not fall asleep until after XA00 am. I awoke at AB15 am, mon morning and could not go back to sleep. I tried to nap in the early afternoon but could not sleep. I reported for the phnl/ntaa flight at xypm hst with a departure at XZ30 pm to ntaa. Flight time was 5:20 to ntaa. We spent 50 mins on the ground at ntaa. This is when the fueling mistake took place. My copilot and engineer both said they had the same sleep problems after the ppg/hnl flight. I believe that sleep deprivation and back side of the clock on successive flts was the major contributing factor. Both the engineer and I discussed the fuel load which seemed low and divided the fuel burn by the flight time and determined that the burnoff was proper. Failing to realize that we need to board reserve and holding fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HVT RETURN LAND AFTER FLC REALIZES FUEL ON BOARD LESS THAN REQUIRED FOR FLT.

Narrative: I MISREAD THE FUEL REQUIRED FOR THE FLT FROM PPT TO HNL. I READ THE FUEL BURNOUT LINE AND ASKED THE ENGINEER TO ADD AN EXTRA 4000 LBS, AS THE WX AT DEST WAS CHANGING. I SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOTTOM LINE FUEL REQUIRED 13000 LBS HIGHER FUEL LOAD. WE DEPARTED NTAA WITH INADEQUATE FUEL TO DEST PHNL. I REALIZED THE ERROR 20-30 MI AFTER DEP, APPROX 15000 FT MSL ON CLBOUT. I THEN REQUESTED RETURN TO NTAA AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE THEN REFUELED ACFT TO PROPER FUEL LOAD. WE THEN DEPARTED NTAA FOR PHNL. THE FLT PROGRESSED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE CREW FATIGUE AND TRYING TO GET THE ACFT BACK ON TIME AS WE HAD AN EARLIER MAINT DELAY. THE FATIGUE WAS CAUSED BY A LATE ARR ON THE PREVIOUS FLT. WE HAD FLOWN FROM (PPG PAGO PAGO SAMOA) TO HNL ARRIVING AT AB00 HST ON SUN MORNING, JAN/XX/93 AFTER A 5:20 HR FLT. I TRIED TO NAP WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL. I WAS NOT ABLE TO SLEEP. I THEN GOT PAST THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO SLEEP. I WENT TO BED AT XYPM HST, SUN NIGHT BUT DID NOT FALL ASLEEP UNTIL AFTER XA00 AM. I AWOKE AT AB15 AM, MON MORNING AND COULD NOT GO BACK TO SLEEP. I TRIED TO NAP IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON BUT COULD NOT SLEEP. I RPTED FOR THE PHNL/NTAA FLT AT XYPM HST WITH A DEP AT XZ30 PM TO NTAA. FLT TIME WAS 5:20 TO NTAA. WE SPENT 50 MINS ON THE GND AT NTAA. THIS IS WHEN THE FUELING MISTAKE TOOK PLACE. MY COPLT AND ENGINEER BOTH SAID THEY HAD THE SAME SLEEP PROBS AFTER THE PPG/HNL FLT. I BELIEVE THAT SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK ON SUCCESSIVE FLTS WAS THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. BOTH THE ENGINEER AND I DISCUSSED THE FUEL LOAD WHICH SEEMED LOW AND DIVIDED THE FUEL BURN BY THE FLT TIME AND DETERMINED THAT THE BURNOFF WAS PROPER. FAILING TO REALIZE THAT WE NEED TO BOARD RESERVE AND HOLDING 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.