Air carrier medium large transport departs station without proper fuel load.

Attributes
ACN	309573
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : azo
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other personnel other
Qualification	other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 720
ASRS Report	309573
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Station agent failed to provide updated dispatch release to flight crew and also failed to notify fueler to increase fuel. Flight was initially dispatched with minimum fuel 26800 pounds. Flight ETD XA00Z. At XA58Z, dispatch release #2 was issued to increase minimum fuel to 28100 pounds to provide for lower altitude en route due to turbulence and more holding fuel at destination due to thunderstorm. At XA03Z, central load control agent notified station agent of new dispatch release. Error was discovered after flight was airborne and I recorded out/off times and departure fuel reported via ACARS for flight following purposes. Flight crew received final weight and balance via ACARS which showed release #2 but failed to note the discrepancy between that and their paperwork (release #1). Contributing factors: station agent shift change, flight crew failure to reconcile final weight and balance release number and station printing paperwork for crew too far in advance of flight departure. Corrective actions: suggest 1) station not print original paperwork more than 90 mins before departure, 2) station log notification of dispatch releases and amendments, 3) flight not begin taxi until receiving weight and balance information rather than receiving it during taxi when busy with checklists, etc.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DEPARTS STATION WITHOUT PROPER FUEL LOAD.

Narrative: STATION AGENT FAILED TO PROVIDE UPDATED DISPATCH RELEASE TO FLC AND ALSO FAILED TO NOTIFY FUELER TO INCREASE FUEL. FLT WAS INITIALLY DISPATCHED WITH MINIMUM FUEL 26800 LBS. FLT ETD XA00Z. AT XA58Z, DISPATCH RELEASE #2 WAS ISSUED TO INCREASE MINIMUM FUEL TO 28100 LBS TO PROVIDE FOR LOWER ALT ENRTE DUE TO TURB AND MORE HOLDING FUEL AT DEST DUE TO TSTM. AT XA03Z, CENTRAL LOAD CTL AGENT NOTIFIED STATION AGENT OF NEW DISPATCH RELEASE. ERROR WAS DISCOVERED AFTER FLT WAS AIRBORNE AND I RECORDED OUT/OFF TIMES AND DEP FUEL RPTED VIA ACARS FOR FLT FOLLOWING PURPOSES. FLC RECEIVED FINAL WT AND BAL VIA ACARS WHICH SHOWED RELEASE #2 BUT FAILED TO NOTE THE DISCREPANCY BTWN THAT AND THEIR PAPERWORK (RELEASE #1). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STATION AGENT SHIFT CHANGE, FLC FAILURE TO RECONCILE FINAL WT AND BAL RELEASE NUMBER AND STATION PRINTING PAPERWORK FOR CREW TOO FAR IN ADVANCE OF FLT DEP. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: SUGGEST 1) STATION NOT PRINT ORIGINAL PAPERWORK MORE THAN 90 MINS BEFORE DEP, 2) STATION LOG NOTIFICATION OF DISPATCH RELEASES AND AMENDMENTS, 3) FLT NOT BEGIN TAXI UNTIL RECEIVING WT AND BAL INFO RATHER THAN RECEIVING IT DURING TAXI WHEN BUSY WITH CHKLISTS, ETC.

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.