An ACR De Havilland Dash 8 flight departed without refueling the aircraft.
Synopsis
An ACR De Havilland Dash 8 flight departed without refueling the aircraft.
Narrative
Rewritten in plain English from NASA’s original all-caps telegraphic report — facts, figures, and terminology preserved.
During a quick turn in MHT, we requested fuel through MHT operations. In an effort to get the flight out on time, we rushed through the checklist and inadvertently missed that the aircraft had not been refueled.
We caught the error after takeoff while calling in departure times and returned to MHT safely. In my best estimation, this error occurred because a checklist was interrupted by cabin crew and an item was missed on the checklist as a result.
For myself, I will never allow a checklist to be interrupted without starting it over from the beginning, and I feel emphasis on that point would have eliminated the return to field situation we incurred.
Show the original NASA report (verbatim, telegraphic)
DURING A QUICK TURN IN MHT WE REQUESTED FUEL THROUGH MHT OPS. IN AN EFFORT TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME WE RUSHED THROUGH THE CHKLIST AND INADVERTENTLY MISSED THAT THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED. WE CAUGHT THE ERROR AFTER TKOF WHILE CALLING IN DEP TIMES AND RETURNED TO MHT SAFELY. IN MY BEST ESTIMATION THIS ERROR OCCURRED BECAUSE A CHKLIST WAS INTERRUPTED BY CABIN CREW AND AN ITEM WAS MISSED ON THE CHKLIST AS A RESULT. FOR MYSELF I WILL NEVER ALLOW A CHKLIST TO BE INTERRUPTED WITHOUT STARTING IT OVER FROM THE BEGINNING AND I FEEL EMPHASIS ON THAT POINT WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE RETURN TO FIELD SIT WE INCURRED.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.