Narrative:

Other than aircraft arriving at the gate late, preflight duties on the commuter flight went normally. During before start checklist, gpu had to be reset twice, this may have led to erroneous fuel readings. En route, dispatch sent a message regarding our fuel situation. On second look at gauges, fuel was not up to release amount. With lower altitude and more direct routing landing at our original destination would have been possible but safety dictated a fuel stop. Fuel stop was made and we continued on to destination without further incident. Aircraft logbook entry was made regarding fuel gauges. Even though the crew may have been rushed, another look at the fuel gauges may have prevented this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: company sent the captain for supplemental training. Reporter has since added personal cockpit management procedures and follows all airline SOP's for the SF340. He states it would be impossible to duplicate the circumstances which led to the diversion, but schedule pressure, a malfunctioning gpu (causing a black cockpit which was distracting the crew from normal preflight duties), a bad day, were all part of the problem. Company investigation found normally functioning fuel gauges and enough fuel to make it to the destination under the VFR conditions that existed at the time of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REGIONAL ACR FLC FAILED TO BOARD THE FUEL SPECIFIED IN THE RELEASE WHICH LED TO THE FLT'S DIVERSION FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL.

Narrative: OTHER THAN ACFT ARRIVING AT THE GATE LATE, PREFLT DUTIES ON THE COMMUTER FLT WENT NORMALLY. DURING BEFORE START CHKLIST, GPU HAD TO BE RESET TWICE, THIS MAY HAVE LED TO ERRONEOUS FUEL READINGS. ENRTE, DISPATCH SENT A MESSAGE REGARDING OUR FUEL SIT. ON SECOND LOOK AT GAUGES, FUEL WAS NOT UP TO RELEASE AMOUNT. WITH LOWER ALT AND MORE DIRECT ROUTING LNDG AT OUR ORIGINAL DEST WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE BUT SAFETY DICTATED A FUEL STOP. FUEL STOP WAS MADE AND WE CONTINUED ON TO DEST WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ACFT LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE REGARDING FUEL GAUGES. EVEN THOUGH THE CREW MAY HAVE BEEN RUSHED, ANOTHER LOOK AT THE FUEL GAUGES MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: COMPANY SENT THE CAPT FOR SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING. RPTR HAS SINCE ADDED PERSONAL COCKPIT MGMNT PROCS AND FOLLOWS ALL AIRLINE SOP'S FOR THE SF340. HE STATES IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DUPLICATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH LED TO THE DIVERSION, BUT SCHEDULE PRESSURE, A MALFUNCTIONING GPU (CAUSING A BLACK COCKPIT WHICH WAS DISTRACTING THE CREW FROM NORMAL PREFLT DUTIES), A BAD DAY, WERE ALL PART OF THE PROB. COMPANY INVESTIGATION FOUND NORMALLY FUNCTIONING FUEL GAUGES AND ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO THE DEST UNDER THE VFR CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME OF FLT.

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.