Fuel required -- dispatch release fuel was improperly changed.

Attributes
ACN	297626
Time
Date	199502
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	297626
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	297603
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Inbound equipment late, change crew and start preflight following last passenger deplaned. During preflight, I am handed an ACARS message which I concluded was a leftover message for the inbound flight. The message offered no flight number -- only tail number and origination city. The intent of the message was an amendment of release fuel to 19.3. Fueling had stopped at 17.4 with release at 16.8. After pushback and prior to taxi -- received an ACARS request from load to confirm fuel of 17.4 rather than 19.3 at that point. I realized the message in question intended our release fuel to be 19.3. Iah operations was called to request from dispatch a new release fuel of 17.4. 17.4 was approved with hard copy. The incorrect conclusion/confusion on my part might have been avoided if the message had addressed us by flight number and city origination -- city destination as the close-out does. Without this, the equipment number and city origination only seemed buried in the array of other numbers and letters. Abbreviations in the text are understandable albeit sometimes difficult to interpret. The addressee portion of the message, I believe, should be more exact.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL REQUIRED -- DISPATCH RELEASE FUEL WAS IMPROPERLY CHANGED.

Narrative: INBOUND EQUIP LATE, CHANGE CREW AND START PREFLT FOLLOWING LAST PAX DEPLANED. DURING PREFLT, I AM HANDED AN ACARS MESSAGE WHICH I CONCLUDED WAS A LEFTOVER MESSAGE FOR THE INBOUND FLT. THE MESSAGE OFFERED NO FLT NUMBER -- ONLY TAIL NUMBER AND ORIGINATION CITY. THE INTENT OF THE MESSAGE WAS AN AMENDMENT OF RELEASE FUEL TO 19.3. FUELING HAD STOPPED AT 17.4 WITH RELEASE AT 16.8. AFTER PUSHBACK AND PRIOR TO TAXI -- RECEIVED AN ACARS REQUEST FROM LOAD TO CONFIRM FUEL OF 17.4 RATHER THAN 19.3 AT THAT POINT. I REALIZED THE MESSAGE IN QUESTION INTENDED OUR RELEASE FUEL TO BE 19.3. IAH OPS WAS CALLED TO REQUEST FROM DISPATCH A NEW RELEASE FUEL OF 17.4. 17.4 WAS APPROVED WITH HARD COPY. THE INCORRECT CONCLUSION/CONFUSION ON MY PART MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE MESSAGE HAD ADDRESSED US BY FLT NUMBER AND CITY ORIGINATION -- CITY DEST AS THE CLOSE-OUT DOES. WITHOUT THIS, THE EQUIP NUMBER AND CITY ORIGINATION ONLY SEEMED BURIED IN THE ARRAY OF OTHER NUMBERS AND LETTERS. ABBREVIATIONS IN THE TEXT ARE UNDERSTANDABLE ALBEIT SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET. THE ADDRESSEE PORTION OF THE MESSAGE, I BELIEVE, SHOULD BE MORE EXACT.

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.