Narrative:

We had already been delayed approximately 45 minutes because of a late arriving aircraft and then had a block turn back in due to an intercom failure. When we finally departed we were already 2:49 behind schedule. On arrival in den; I went down to get the paperwork and on the way up ran into the first officer. We discussed eating and gave him some money and asked if he could go to fast food restaurant and get the crew salads. He was unable to secure any meals due to long lines. When I arrived back at the aircraft; I had numerous additional tasks. An avionics tech was in my seat and we had a lengthy discussion about the intercom MEL. Then I gathered the crew signatures on the dca security forms. We continued the flight preparation and began to run the before start checklist. The checklist was interrupted at least three times if not more and at one point we started the whole process over again due to the distractions and interruptions which included checking on the status of the dog in the back (he had been with us since beginning of trip and already had a very long; hot day). Checked in a late arriving armed leo and then a young passenger wanted to come up front and we asked her dad if he wanted to take some pictures. We received the final paperwork and count and thought the checklist had been completed. We pushed back; started the #1 engine; waved off the ground crew and completed the one engine after start checklist. We both realized we had had a difficult day; plagued with problems; and were in a high-risk environment and vulnerable to make a mistake. I told the first officer; let's just stop for a minute and relax and catch our breath. We took a moment of silence in an intentional effort to redirect our attention momentarily to break our tunnel vision. Unfortunately the error had already been made. We made our turnout to the east and as we passed under the bridge and I began the control check; the first officer noticed the fuel situation and commented; 'what happened to the fuel?' we immediately realized our error; rolled forward about 100 yards; came to a stop and made arrangements to return to the gate. To save face; we made an announcement to the passengers that due to deteriorating weather on the east coast and dc area; we had to return to the gate for additional fuel; apologized for the delay and assured them we would be underway very shortly. We were reassigned to gate xx as our gate was already spoken for and still had to wait approximately 15 minutes for the truck to arrive. During this time the first officer and I recomposed ourselves; reviewed our flight preparation and discussed where the error was made. We finally pushed and the flight continued without further incident. Contributing factors: 1) compounding delaysecond officerperational time pressures. 2) mechanical problems and block turn backs. 3) cumbersome MEL (the audio switching MEL is simple but awkward to deal with in the cockpit). 4) numerous interruptions and distractions in the cockpit. 5) disgruntled passengers and public relations. 6) lack of food (crew hadn't eaten since mid morning some 7-8 hours earlier and had no prospects after late arrival in dca. 7) crew stress and hunger 8) live animal in aft bin requiring attention. 9) passenger visiting cockpit (I like having guest but under the circumstances; probably waiting till after the flight would have been more prudent). Preventative measures: 1) understanding and training of all flight operations personnel of the risk of interrupting briefings and checklist. 2) awareness of flight crewmembers as to warning signs of impending error. We're doing a pretty good job of this; but obviously it's a never ending struggle. I intuitively knew something was wrong and we were at risk; I just couldn't put my finger on it. 3) company recognition of high risk contributing factors: it's illegal to FLIP burgers at fast food restaurants for 12 to 14 hours straight; but this industry doesn't bat an eye at that prospect; or doing so without food. I have never been able to figure out crew meal logic that's based on 9 to 5 schedules when over half of our flying takes place when most people are snug in their beds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW HAS NUMEROUS INTERRUPTIONS AND DELAYS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. DURING TAXI THE FLT CREW DISCOVERS THAT ACFT WAS NOT FUELED.

Narrative: WE HAD ALREADY BEEN DELAYED APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES BECAUSE OF A LATE ARRIVING AIRCRAFT AND THEN HAD A BLOCK TURN BACK IN DUE TO AN INTERCOM FAILURE. WHEN WE FINALLY DEPARTED WE WERE ALREADY 2:49 BEHIND SCHEDULE. ON ARRIVAL IN DEN; I WENT DOWN TO GET THE PAPERWORK AND ON THE WAY UP RAN INTO THE FIRST OFFICER. WE DISCUSSED EATING AND GAVE HIM SOME MONEY AND ASKED IF HE COULD GO TO FAST FOOD RESTAURANT AND GET THE CREW SALADS. HE WAS UNABLE TO SECURE ANY MEALS DUE TO LONG LINES. WHEN I ARRIVED BACK AT THE AIRCRAFT; I HAD NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL TASKS. AN AVIONICS TECH WAS IN MY SEAT AND WE HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INTERCOM MEL. THEN I GATHERED THE CREW SIGNATURES ON THE DCA SECURITY FORMS. WE CONTINUED THE FLIGHT PREPARATION AND BEGAN TO RUN THE BEFORE START CHECKLIST. THE CHECKLIST WAS INTERRUPTED AT LEAST THREE TIMES IF NOT MORE AND AT ONE POINT WE STARTED THE WHOLE PROCESS OVER AGAIN DUE TO THE DISTRACTIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS WHICH INCLUDED CHECKING ON THE STATUS OF THE DOG IN THE BACK (HE HAD BEEN WITH US SINCE BEGINNING OF TRIP AND ALREADY HAD A VERY LONG; HOT DAY). CHECKED IN A LATE ARRIVING ARMED LEO AND THEN A YOUNG PASSENGER WANTED TO COME UP FRONT AND WE ASKED HER DAD IF HE WANTED TO TAKE SOME PICTURES. WE RECEIVED THE FINAL PAPERWORK AND COUNT AND THOUGHT THE CHECKLIST HAD BEEN COMPLETED. WE PUSHED BACK; STARTED THE #1 ENGINE; WAVED OFF THE GROUND CREW AND COMPLETED THE ONE ENGINE AFTER START CHECKLIST. WE BOTH REALIZED WE HAD HAD A DIFFICULT DAY; PLAGUED WITH PROBLEMS; AND WERE IN A HIGH-RISK ENVIRONMENT AND VULNERABLE TO MAKE A MISTAKE. I TOLD THE FO; LET'S JUST STOP FOR A MINUTE AND RELAX AND CATCH OUR BREATH. WE TOOK A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO REDIRECT OUR ATTENTION MOMENTARILY TO BREAK OUR TUNNEL VISION. UNFORTUNATELY THE ERROR HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE. WE MADE OUR TURNOUT TO THE EAST AND AS WE PASSED UNDER THE BRIDGE AND I BEGAN THE CONTROL CHECK; THE FO NOTICED THE FUEL SITUATION AND COMMENTED; 'WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FUEL?' WE IMMEDIATELY REALIZED OUR ERROR; ROLLED FORWARD ABOUT 100 YARDS; CAME TO A STOP AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO RETURN TO THE GATE. TO SAVE FACE; WE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PASSENGERS THAT DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER ON THE EAST COAST AND DC AREA; WE HAD TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL; APOLOGIZED FOR THE DELAY AND ASSURED THEM WE WOULD BE UNDERWAY VERY SHORTLY. WE WERE REASSIGNED TO GATE XX AS OUR GATE WAS ALREADY SPOKEN FOR AND STILL HAD TO WAIT APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES FOR THE TRUCK TO ARRIVE. DURING THIS TIME THE FO AND I RECOMPOSED OURSELVES; REVIEWED OUR FLIGHT PREPARATION AND DISCUSSED WHERE THE ERROR WAS MADE. WE FINALLY PUSHED AND THE FLIGHT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) COMPOUNDING DELAYS/OPERATIONAL TIME PRESSURES. 2) MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AND BLOCK TURN BACKS. 3) CUMBERSOME MEL (THE AUDIO SWITCHING MEL IS SIMPLE BUT AWKWARD TO DEAL WITH IN THE COCKPIT). 4) NUMEROUS INTERRUPTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS IN THE COCKPIT. 5) DISGRUNTLED PASSENGERS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS. 6) LACK OF FOOD (CREW HADN'T EATEN SINCE MID MORNING SOME 7-8 HOURS EARLIER AND HAD NO PROSPECTS AFTER LATE ARRIVAL IN DCA. 7) CREW STRESS AND HUNGER 8) LIVE ANIMAL IN AFT BIN REQUIRING ATTENTION. 9) PASSENGER VISITING COCKPIT (I LIKE HAVING GUEST BUT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; PROBABLY WAITING TILL AFTER THE FLIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRUDENT). PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: 1) UNDERSTANDING AND TRAINING OF ALL FLIGHT OPS PERSONNEL OF THE RISK OF INTERRUPTING BRIEFINGS AND CHECKLIST. 2) AWARENESS OF FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS AS TO WARNING SIGNS OF IMPENDING ERROR. WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THIS; BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S A NEVER ENDING STRUGGLE. I INTUITIVELY KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND WE WERE AT RISK; I JUST COULDN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT. 3) COMPANY RECOGNITION OF HIGH RISK CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IT'S ILLEGAL TO FLIP BURGERS AT FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS FOR 12 TO 14 HOURS STRAIGHT; BUT THIS INDUSTRY DOESN'T BAT AN EYE AT THAT PROSPECT; OR DOING SO WITHOUT FOOD. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT CREW MEAL LOGIC THAT'S BASED ON 9 TO 5 SCHEDULES WHEN OVER HALF OF OUR FLYING TAKES PLACE WHEN MOST PEOPLE ARE SNUG IN THEIR BEDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.