AN ATR42 DEPARTS MIA; FL; WITHOUT BEING REFUELED. THE LOW FUEL QUANTITY FORCES THE FLC TO RETURN TO LAND AT MIA.

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FLT # WAS XX (ACR). WE (CREW) DEPARTED WITH LESS FUEL THAN OUR RELEASE STATED; 3975 LBS. WE LEFT WITH APPROX 2900 LBS. DURING OUR PREFLT AND CHKLIST BOTH CREW MEMBERS BELIEVED WE SAW 4400 LBS OF FUEL AS NEEDED FOR OUR FLT RELEASE. WE WERE TRYING TO MAINTAIN OUR FLT SCHEDULE FOR AN ON TIME DEP; AND WERE OPERATING WITH LIMITED TIME RESTRAINTS. AFTER TKOF BOTH CREW MEMBERS NOTED FUEL TO BE APPROX 1800 LBS ON THE GAUGES. NOT SURE IF WE HAD A FUEL LEAK WE RETURNED TO LAND BACK AT MIA. AT THAT TIME WE LANDED WITH 2600 LBS FUEL. (NOTE: FUEL INDICATES LOW IN CLB.) WE THEN FOUND OUT THE ACFT WAS NEVER FUELED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY SLOWING DOWN AND TAKING MORE TIME TO REVIEW AND ACTUALLY SEE DIGITAL NUMBERS AS THEY ARE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 384731: WE STARTED TO RUN CHKLISTS; (BEFORE START) WHEN CLRNC WAS READY FOR US. AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE CONTINUED CHKLIST. I MUST HAVE MISSED OR ANSWERED INCORRECTLY TO THE FUEL CHK. I THOUGHT I SAW IT ON THE FUEL GAUGE. WE CONTINUED CHKLIST AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI OUT. THE FO WAS DOING A RADIO CLOSE OUT AND I WAS TALKING TO GND. TIME TO TAXI AND TKOF WAS VERY SHORT; ABOUT 4 MINS. WE COMPLETED TAXI AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND DEPARTED ON RWY 12 MIA. AFTER CLB CHKLIST; I NOTICED THE FUEL GAUGE TO BE READING LOW. I ASKED MY FO TO LOOK AT IT. HE CONCURRED. I SAID TO HIM SOMETHING LIKE; WE HAVE ENOUGH FUEL 4600 LBS. (THE ATR HAS A HISTORY OF FAULTY FUEL GAUGES.) IN OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP SCHEDULE; WE ASSUMED ALL WAS DONE; INCLUDING FUEL. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF NOT MAKING SURE AND ASSUMING. WE WOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT THE GATE WITHOUT FUEL.