Air carrier was dispatched with less than regulation fuel.

Attributes
ACN	300183
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
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	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	300183
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Because of a shortage of crews I was tapped by scheduling to fly a flight I was not normally scheduled to do. The required fuel on the release seemed low. I queried the dispatcher and did the quick math in my head, and the numbers seemed correct. In fact the dispatcher did not add in the contingency fuel. I did not catch the error. The flight went as planned, with normal fuel burn. We landed at our destination with exactly or slightly above the required fuel needed for reserve. No problem. In reviewing the release it became obvious that we left with below the required minimum amount of fuel as per our company operations manual. We had enough for burn and reserve, but not the 200 pounds contingency. In the future I will listen a little more carefully to the little voice in my head that initially questioned the release. Relying on rigorous addition rather than quick mental math to add the fuel numbers would also help.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WAS DISPATCHED WITH LESS THAN REGULATION FUEL.

Narrative: BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE OF CREWS I WAS TAPPED BY SCHEDULING TO FLY A FLT I WAS NOT NORMALLY SCHEDULED TO DO. THE REQUIRED FUEL ON THE RELEASE SEEMED LOW. I QUERIED THE DISPATCHER AND DID THE QUICK MATH IN MY HEAD, AND THE NUMBERS SEEMED CORRECT. IN FACT THE DISPATCHER DID NOT ADD IN THE CONTINGENCY FUEL. I DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR. THE FLT WENT AS PLANNED, WITH NORMAL FUEL BURN. WE LANDED AT OUR DEST WITH EXACTLY OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE REQUIRED FUEL NEEDED FOR RESERVE. NO PROB. IN REVIEWING THE RELEASE IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT WE LEFT WITH BELOW THE REQUIRED MINIMUM AMOUNT OF FUEL AS PER OUR COMPANY OPS MANUAL. WE HAD ENOUGH FOR BURN AND RESERVE, BUT NOT THE 200 LBS CONTINGENCY. IN THE FUTURE I WILL LISTEN A LITTLE MORE CAREFULLY TO THE LITTLE VOICE IN MY HEAD THAT INITIALLY QUESTIONED THE RELEASE. RELYING ON RIGOROUS ADDITION RATHER THAN QUICK MENTAL MATH TO ADD THE FUEL NUMBERS WOULD ALSO HELP.

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.