Narrative:

This was the fourth and final leg of our day which had begun at AM30 and it was now PM00 pm. We get our flight releases at the gate check-in podium, which can be hectic, as was the case in this instance. I glanced over the release noting the correct flight number, destination, fuel load, and planned remaining fuel. As to the lower than normal fuel load, I passed it off as being at a station with very high fuel cost, and it was standard company practice to buy as little fuel as possible. We had a short hold for release, but then departed. Shortly after handoff to center, we were given a rerte well south of our normal course. Shortly thereafter we were given delaying vectors and an airspeed reduction. At this point, the flight engineer noticed the fuel was well below what is usual. While the flight engineer calculated the fuel burn to determine our arrival fuel, I reviewed the release and quickly found our problem. The dispatcher had keyed the wrong middle digit of our aircraft number into the computer, resulting in data being for an medium large transport instead of an large transport. At this point, we were given further delaying vectors and another airspeed reduction, and the large transport is very fuel inefficient at slow airspds. After discussing the situation over with the crew, I had several options. Continue on to destination and probably land without incident. Further delay, however, might necessitate having to declare minimum fuel. There was also a possibility of WX being on the field, which could have resulted in a serious situation of having to land no matter the WX. Passenger safety is the paramount issue. Diverting, refueling, and continuing on to our destination was the safest for all concerned, and this was my decision. At this point, we were right over harrisburg, and I felt this was the best choice because it is a company station with little traffic. We advised ATC of our intentions, and sent a message to the company, landed, refueled, and continued to destination without incident. Had we flown our filed route with no delays, we would have arrived with lower than normal, but well above critical, fuel. Human performance considerations: time on duty and fatigue. Routine and repetitive operating practices. Prevention of recurrence: establishing a practice, and sticking to it, of checking all data on releases, etc, and making sure it 'looks right.' getting the other crew members to 'back up,' checking it themselves.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT, SHORTED ON PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL, LANDS SHORT OF DEST FOR FUEL STOP.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE FOURTH AND FINAL LEG OF OUR DAY WHICH HAD BEGUN AT AM30 AND IT WAS NOW PM00 PM. WE GET OUR FLT RELEASES AT THE GATE CHK-IN PODIUM, WHICH CAN BE HECTIC, AS WAS THE CASE IN THIS INSTANCE. I GLANCED OVER THE RELEASE NOTING THE CORRECT FLT NUMBER, DEST, FUEL LOAD, AND PLANNED REMAINING FUEL. AS TO THE LOWER THAN NORMAL FUEL LOAD, I PASSED IT OFF AS BEING AT A STATION WITH VERY HIGH FUEL COST, AND IT WAS STANDARD COMPANY PRACTICE TO BUY AS LITTLE FUEL AS POSSIBLE. WE HAD A SHORT HOLD FOR RELEASE, BUT THEN DEPARTED. SHORTLY AFTER HDOF TO CTR, WE WERE GIVEN A RERTE WELL S OF OUR NORMAL COURSE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE GIVEN DELAYING VECTORS AND AN AIRSPD REDUCTION. AT THIS POINT, THE FE NOTICED THE FUEL WAS WELL BELOW WHAT IS USUAL. WHILE THE FE CALCULATED THE FUEL BURN TO DETERMINE OUR ARR FUEL, I REVIEWED THE RELEASE AND QUICKLY FOUND OUR PROB. THE DISPATCHER HAD KEYED THE WRONG MIDDLE DIGIT OF OUR ACFT NUMBER INTO THE COMPUTER, RESULTING IN DATA BEING FOR AN MLG INSTEAD OF AN LGT. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE GIVEN FURTHER DELAYING VECTORS AND ANOTHER AIRSPD REDUCTION, AND THE LGT IS VERY FUEL INEFFICIENT AT SLOW AIRSPDS. AFTER DISCUSSING THE SIT OVER WITH THE CREW, I HAD SEVERAL OPTIONS. CONTINUE ON TO DEST AND PROBABLY LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT. FURTHER DELAY, HOWEVER, MIGHT NECESSITATE HAVING TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL. THERE WAS ALSO A POSSIBILITY OF WX BEING ON THE FIELD, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS SIT OF HAVING TO LAND NO MATTER THE WX. PAX SAFETY IS THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE. DIVERTING, REFUELING, AND CONTINUING ON TO OUR DEST WAS THE SAFEST FOR ALL CONCERNED, AND THIS WAS MY DECISION. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE RIGHT OVER HARRISBURG, AND I FELT THIS WAS THE BEST CHOICE BECAUSE IT IS A COMPANY STATION WITH LITTLE TFC. WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR INTENTIONS, AND SENT A MESSAGE TO THE COMPANY, LANDED, REFUELED, AND CONTINUED TO DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. HAD WE FLOWN OUR FILED RTE WITH NO DELAYS, WE WOULD HAVE ARRIVED WITH LOWER THAN NORMAL, BUT WELL ABOVE CRITICAL, FUEL. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: TIME ON DUTY AND FATIGUE. ROUTINE AND REPETITIVE OPERATING PRACTICES. PREVENTION OF RECURRENCE: ESTABLISHING A PRACTICE, AND STICKING TO IT, OF CHKING ALL DATA ON RELEASES, ETC, AND MAKING SURE IT 'LOOKS RIGHT.' GETTING THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS TO 'BACK UP,' CHKING IT THEMSELVES.

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.