Narrative:

En route to den we pulled the papers and placed a fuel load. We asked for 14000 pounds and change. I do not remember the exact amount. An alternate was not required and was not listed on the fpf. However we felt as though the original fuel was a tad thin and added a few hundred pounds since there was an excellent chance of deicing at den which was not reflected in the fpf. The plane was late getting to den. I am brand new and the IOE captain and I met the jet on the ramp for the preflight. We found 3 write-ups and headed in to make our nests and depart. The fuel sheet was in the jet and showed a total fuel load of 10KISH; almost 4000 pounds less than we had signed off for. It took at least a half hour and multiple phone calls to get the mess straightened out. The fom is quite clear and exhaustive in its description of fuel(south); loads; and requirements. I don't recall reading anything about dispatch lowering an agreed upon fuel load without initiating contact with the crew and obtaining their consent/agreement. Now; I am not advocating flying around with unnecessary fuel. We are all fully aware of the economic benefits of carrying only the necessary and appropriate fuel for a given flight segment. But; consider if this happened on the 3RD of 4TH leg of a long day and we were fatigued; distraction (maintenance; deice; WX; passenger issues; flight attendant issues; etc etc etc) and missed it? There was no new fpf on the printer; only us noticing that the fuel wasn't right. We could have departed with a bogus fuel load. As it was; we took a heinous maintenance delay and had to deice. We ended up at our destination with less than 6000 pounds fuel. Had we departed with the 10000 pound value; we could have really gotten in trouble.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FIRST OFFICER ADVISES OF A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PLANNED FUEL ON BOARD INITIATED BY DISPATCH WITH NO COORDINATION WITH THE CAPTAIN.

Narrative: ENRTE TO DEN WE PULLED THE PAPERS AND PLACED A FUEL LOAD. WE ASKED FOR 14000 LBS AND CHANGE. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT AMOUNT. AN ALTERNATE WAS NOT REQUIRED AND WAS NOT LISTED ON THE FPF. HOWEVER WE FELT AS THOUGH THE ORIGINAL FUEL WAS A TAD THIN AND ADDED A FEW HUNDRED LBS SINCE THERE WAS AN EXCELLENT CHANCE OF DEICING AT DEN WHICH WAS NOT REFLECTED IN THE FPF. THE PLANE WAS LATE GETTING TO DEN. I AM BRAND NEW AND THE IOE CAPT AND I MET THE JET ON THE RAMP FOR THE PREFLT. WE FOUND 3 WRITE-UPS AND HEADED IN TO MAKE OUR NESTS AND DEPART. THE FUEL SHEET WAS IN THE JET AND SHOWED A TOTAL FUEL LOAD OF 10KISH; ALMOST 4000 LBS LESS THAN WE HAD SIGNED OFF FOR. IT TOOK AT LEAST A HALF HR AND MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS TO GET THE MESS STRAIGHTENED OUT. THE FOM IS QUITE CLR AND EXHAUSTIVE IN ITS DESCRIPTION OF FUEL(S); LOADS; AND REQUIREMENTS. I DON'T RECALL READING ANYTHING ABOUT DISPATCH LOWERING AN AGREED UPON FUEL LOAD WITHOUT INITIATING CONTACT WITH THE CREW AND OBTAINING THEIR CONSENT/AGREEMENT. NOW; I AM NOT ADVOCATING FLYING AROUND WITH UNNECESSARY FUEL. WE ARE ALL FULLY AWARE OF THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF CARRYING ONLY THE NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE FUEL FOR A GIVEN FLT SEGMENT. BUT; CONSIDER IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE 3RD OF 4TH LEG OF A LONG DAY AND WE WERE FATIGUED; DISTR (MAINT; DEICE; WX; PAX ISSUES; FLT ATTENDANT ISSUES; ETC ETC ETC) AND MISSED IT? THERE WAS NO NEW FPF ON THE PRINTER; ONLY US NOTICING THAT THE FUEL WASN'T RIGHT. WE COULD HAVE DEPARTED WITH A BOGUS FUEL LOAD. AS IT WAS; WE TOOK A HEINOUS MAINT DELAY AND HAD TO DEICE. WE ENDED UP AT OUR DEST WITH LESS THAN 6000 LBS FUEL. HAD WE DEPARTED WITH THE 10000 LB VALUE; WE COULD HAVE REALLY GOTTEN IN TROUBLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.