A DH8 was dispatched with less than planned fuel load for IMC night operations.

Attributes
ACN	396299
Time
Date	199803
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mwh
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	396299
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 flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On mar/xx/98, flight xyz sea to geg I was flying as first officer. The captain asks to call operations to inform them that we had not received our fuel load yet. As we continued our duties he called for the before start checklist. We performed the functions of the checklist and when it called for fuel he stated that we had 3600 pounds of fuel. So that was the amount that I put on our data card. And that was the amount that we had asked for on our fuel request slip. We continued with the rest of our flows and checklists. On the way to geg the captain states 'look at our fuel' we were just little past mwh and we did not have the fuel that we should have at that point. My first thought was that we were dumping fuel somehow. But when we talked it over we decided that we probably did not get fuel at sea station after all. We talk over the situation between us and I had gotten the ATIS for geg just prior to this. We agreed that we had enough fuel to go on to geg considering the WX. So we decided to go on to geg and not land at mwh for fuel. The rest of the flight and the landing was routine. We did not need to declare minimum fuel. At geg we did not have legal IFR reserves. But we did have legal fuel for day VFR. We both thought that we made the right decision for the situation. Talking with the captain we come to the conclusion that he was getting the fuel numbers from the FMS and probably did not look at the fuel gauge. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a DH8-100 and was equipped with a flight management system. The reporter said the fuel truck was called and the captain loaded the requested fuel into the flight management computer. The reporter stated we then continued with the pre-start checklist and when all checklists were completed we departed. The reporter said it is company policy that no fuel slips are given to the crew to verify the fuel boarded.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DH8 WAS DISPATCHED WITH LESS THAN PLANNED FUEL LOAD FOR IMC NIGHT OPS.

Narrative: ON MAR/XX/98, FLT XYZ SEA TO GEG I WAS FLYING AS FO. THE CAPT ASKS TO CALL OPS TO INFORM THEM THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED OUR FUEL LOAD YET. AS WE CONTINUED OUR DUTIES HE CALLED FOR THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. WE PERFORMED THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CHKLIST AND WHEN IT CALLED FOR FUEL HE STATED THAT WE HAD 3600 LBS OF FUEL. SO THAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT I PUT ON OUR DATA CARD. AND THAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAD ASKED FOR ON OUR FUEL REQUEST SLIP. WE CONTINUED WITH THE REST OF OUR FLOWS AND CHKLISTS. ON THE WAY TO GEG THE CAPT STATES 'LOOK AT OUR FUEL' WE WERE JUST LITTLE PAST MWH AND WE DID NOT HAVE THE FUEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AT THAT POINT. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT WE WERE DUMPING FUEL SOMEHOW. BUT WHEN WE TALKED IT OVER WE DECIDED THAT WE PROBABLY DID NOT GET FUEL AT SEA STATION AFTER ALL. WE TALK OVER THE SIT BTWN US AND I HAD GOTTEN THE ATIS FOR GEG JUST PRIOR TO THIS. WE AGREED THAT WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO GO ON TO GEG CONSIDERING THE WX. SO WE DECIDED TO GO ON TO GEG AND NOT LAND AT MWH FOR FUEL. THE REST OF THE FLT AND THE LNDG WAS ROUTINE. WE DID NOT NEED TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL. AT GEG WE DID NOT HAVE LEGAL IFR RESERVES. BUT WE DID HAVE LEGAL FUEL FOR DAY VFR. WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT WE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THE SIT. TALKING WITH THE CAPT WE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT HE WAS GETTING THE FUEL NUMBERS FROM THE FMS AND PROBABLY DID NOT LOOK AT THE FUEL GAUGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A DH8-100 AND WAS EQUIPPED WITH A FLT MGMNT SYS. THE RPTR SAID THE FUEL TRUCK WAS CALLED AND THE CAPT LOADED THE REQUESTED FUEL INTO THE FLT MGMNT COMPUTER. THE RPTR STATED WE THEN CONTINUED WITH THE PRE-START CHKLIST AND WHEN ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED WE DEPARTED. THE RPTR SAID IT IS COMPANY POLICY THAT NO FUEL SLIPS ARE GIVEN TO THE CREW TO VERIFY THE FUEL BOARDED.

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.