B737 crew departed mdw with less fuel than the departure release specified.

Attributes
ACN	565692
Time
Date	200211
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 520
ASRS Report	565692
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fmc predicted lndg fuel indcation other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight departed mdw with less than minimum fuel as specified on dispatch release, unintentionally. The fueler inadvertently put less fuel on the aircraft than what was ordered by operations. New fueling procedures has operations placing fuel orders and not the capts. Flight crew entered planned fuel of 17.6 in FMC 'performance page.' during before start checklist, flight crew checked fuel quantity against 'progress page 1' and it read 17.6, which was actually the planned fuel instead of the actual fuel on the aircraft. At the same time during the fuel check on 'progress page 1,' crew checked arrival fuel at dca and arrival fuel indicated normal. Above FL290, flight crew closed an arrival route discontinuity on the 'legs page,' then received an FMC message stating 'using reserve fuel.' checked the arrival fuel for dca immediately. FMC progress page 1 indicated arriving dca with 5.4 remaining. While 5400 pounds of fuel is more than adequate, it is below company recommended arrival fuel and less than arrival fuel of 8500 ft or 8.5, shown on dispatch release. Flight crew monitored fuel consumption during the flight and continued to dca landing with 5000 pounds of fuel, well above any fuel minimum advisories. En route, departure and destination WX was VFR and unrestr visibility and no ATC delays.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW DEPARTED MDW WITH LESS FUEL THAN THE DEP RELEASE SPECIFIED.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED MDW WITH LESS THAN MINIMUM FUEL AS SPECIFIED ON DISPATCH RELEASE, UNINTENTIONALLY. THE FUELER INADVERTENTLY PUT LESS FUEL ON THE ACFT THAN WHAT WAS ORDERED BY OPS. NEW FUELING PROCS HAS OPS PLACING FUEL ORDERS AND NOT THE CAPTS. FLC ENTERED PLANNED FUEL OF 17.6 IN FMC 'PERFORMANCE PAGE.' DURING BEFORE START CHKLIST, FLC CHKED FUEL QUANTITY AGAINST 'PROGRESS PAGE 1' AND IT READ 17.6, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY THE PLANNED FUEL INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL FUEL ON THE ACFT. AT THE SAME TIME DURING THE FUEL CHK ON 'PROGRESS PAGE 1,' CREW CHKED ARR FUEL AT DCA AND ARR FUEL INDICATED NORMAL. ABOVE FL290, FLC CLOSED AN ARR RTE DISCONTINUITY ON THE 'LEGS PAGE,' THEN RECEIVED AN FMC MESSAGE STATING 'USING RESERVE FUEL.' CHKED THE ARR FUEL FOR DCA IMMEDIATELY. FMC PROGRESS PAGE 1 INDICATED ARRIVING DCA WITH 5.4 REMAINING. WHILE 5400 LBS OF FUEL IS MORE THAN ADEQUATE, IT IS BELOW COMPANY RECOMMENDED ARR FUEL AND LESS THAN ARR FUEL OF 8500 FT OR 8.5, SHOWN ON DISPATCH RELEASE. FLC MONITORED FUEL CONSUMPTION DURING THE FLT AND CONTINUED TO DCA LNDG WITH 5000 LBS OF FUEL, WELL ABOVE ANY FUEL MINIMUM ADVISORIES. ENRTE, DEP AND DEST WX WAS VFR AND UNRESTR VISIBILITY AND NO ATC DELAYS.

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.