1997-07 · NASA ASRS report 375760
A BA3101 DEPARTS FROM IND; IN; WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL. FLC WAS DISTRACTED DURING GND LAYOVER AND NEGLECTED TO SEE ACFT REFUELED.
I WAS THE FO ON FLT FROM IND TO MDW. WE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND BEEN HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL. AFTER COMPLETING THE CLB CHKLIST AND CHKING IN WITH DEP CTL; I WAS MAKING THE 'OFF' CALL TO OPS. THIS INCLUDES RPTING OUT AND OFF TIMES; NUMBER OF PAX AND BAGS AND FUEL ON BOARD. AS I WAS COMPLETING THE CALL; THE CAPT SAID THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN FUELED FOR THE TRIP; AND WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO IND FOR FUEL. WE RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND RETURNED TO IND WITHOUT INCIDENT. ACFT WAS FUELED AND THE FLT WAS THEN COMPLETED. THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF AN 8 LEG DAY. THE TURN-AROUND TIME WAS 20 MINS AND I THINK BOTH CREW MEMBERS WERE IN THE 'HURRY-UP' MODE. THE CAPT PUT THE SIGN IN THE WINDOW FOR THE FUELER AS TO WHAT TO FUEL THE AIRPLANE TO AND HAD GONE INSIDE OPS TO GET THE CURRENT WX. I WAS OCCUPIED WITH THE FO DUTIES (BAGS; PAX; LOAD MANIFEST; ETC) AND HAD NOT NOTICED WHETHER A FUEL TRUCK HAD FUELED US OR NOT. THE CAPT RETURNED WITH THE WX; PULLED THE FUEL CARD FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND RAN THE BEFORE START CHKLIST (WHICH INCLUDES CHKING THE FUEL LOAD) AND STARTED THE R ENG WHILE I WAS STILL OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE COMPLETING THE LOAD MANIFEST. I WAS CLOSING THE DOOR WHILE THE CAPT STARTED THE L ENG; WHEN I GOT SITUATED IN THE COCKPIT; THE CAPT WAS RUNNING THE AFTER START CHKLIST. I THINK A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THE FO IS GENERALLY 'OUT OF THE LOOP' WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUELING OF THE AIRPLANE AND IT IS NOT ON A CHKLIST THE FO IS USUALLY INVOLVED WITH. I HAVE RECOMMENDED A CHANGE IN THE CHKLIST TO PUT THE FUEL LOAD WHERE BOTH CREW MEMBERS RESPOND.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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