Misread fuel gauges.

Attributes
ACN	313002
Time
Date	199508
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gtf
State Reference	MT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc artcc : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	313002
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure 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:

Good decisions come from wisdom, wisdom comes from experience, experience comes from bad decisions. Experience like this I don't need. Descent into bil showed 9000 pounds for fuel, planned 1000 pounds for descent. Dispatch release 8000 pounds plus/minus 400 pounds, read 7700 pounds on the fuel gauges at the gate. Departed bil. Just about reaching cruise altitude fuel was around 3800 pounds, calculated fuel at bil to be 2600 pounds, arrived with 2500 pounds, calculated return to bil fuel to be about the same as landing gtf. In trying to figure out what went wrong, computed inbound bil fuel against plan burn, and arrival, bil/gtf departure fuel, plan burn, arrival fuel and everything computes to misreading (or reading what we wanted to see) the fuel gauges or both fuel gauges were in error and I don't think it was the fuel gauges. Don't see what you want to see. See what's there. Enough said.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISREAD FUEL GAUGES.

Narrative: GOOD DECISIONS COME FROM WISDOM, WISDOM COMES FROM EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCE COMES FROM BAD DECISIONS. EXPERIENCE LIKE THIS I DON'T NEED. DSCNT INTO BIL SHOWED 9000 LBS FOR FUEL, PLANNED 1000 LBS FOR DSCNT. DISPATCH RELEASE 8000 LBS PLUS/MINUS 400 LBS, READ 7700 LBS ON THE FUEL GAUGES AT THE GATE. DEPARTED BIL. JUST ABOUT REACHING CRUISE ALT FUEL WAS AROUND 3800 LBS, CALCULATED FUEL AT BIL TO BE 2600 LBS, ARRIVED WITH 2500 LBS, CALCULATED RETURN TO BIL FUEL TO BE ABOUT THE SAME AS LNDG GTF. IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG, COMPUTED INBOUND BIL FUEL AGAINST PLAN BURN, AND ARR, BIL/GTF DEP FUEL, PLAN BURN, ARR FUEL AND EVERYTHING COMPUTES TO MISREADING (OR READING WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE) THE FUEL GAUGES OR BOTH FUEL GAUGES WERE IN ERROR AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE FUEL GAUGES. DON'T SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE. SEE WHAT'S THERE. ENOUGH SAID.

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.