B747-400 FLT CREW TKOF WITH LESS THAN CLRED FUEL.

Narrative

INADVERTENTLY; WE TOOK OFF WITH LESS THAN OUR CLRED FUEL. TO BACK UP; WE HAD PROBS IN DISPATCH WITH THE FORECAST WX BEING MARGINAL FOR OUR ARR; AND ASKED THAT AN ALTERNATE BE ADDED. EVEN WITH 2 SYDNEY FLTS THIS NIGHT; THE LOAD PLANNER FILLED UP OUR ACFT TO MAX AND SENT THE OTHER ONE OUT LIGHT. AT THE BLOCKS THE FUELER HAD PROBS WITH THE PAPERWORK AND USED THE WRONG FUEL DENSITY FOR THE FUEL LOAD. HE DID FIX IT EVENTUALLY; HE TOPPED OFF THE TANKS AND THE PUMPS SHUT OFF; LESS THAN WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY TAKE AS THE NORMAL TAXI FUEL. NOT THAT MUCH A PROB YET. THEN WHEN WE TAXIED OUT; HOWEVER; THERE WAS A MUCH LONGER LINE OF ACFT AND CAUSED A FURTHER DELAY IN OUR TKOF. WHEN THE FINAL WTS CAME ACROSS; THEY WERE OVER 2000 LB INCREASE IN ZERO FUEL WT (I THINK SOMEWHERE AROUND A 3000 LB INCREASE; I DON'T THINK THEY TOOK OFF THE CARGO I HAD ASKED TO BE REMOVED WHILE STILL IN THE FLT PLANNING ROOM) SO THE BUNKIE SENT A MESSAGE TO DISPATCH. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT; SHE SENT TO DISPATCHER THE CURRENT FUEL LOAD OF 375.0 JUST AS WE TOOK #1 FOR TKOF AND RELEASE 6 CAME ACROSS OUR PRINTER. THE PRINTER WAS STARTING WITH PRINTING PAGE 2 OF 2; AND WE DIDN'T SEE THE FIRST PART TO REALIZE THE DISPATCHER WAS USING THE WRONG FUEL LOAD FOR THAT PLAN. UNFORTUNATELY; I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT WITH THE NEW RELEASE PRINTING WE WERE LEGAL WITH DISPATCH AND SENT HIM AN ACCEPTANCE FOR RELEASE 6 AND TOOK OFF. AFTER THE COMPLETE FLT PLAN FILED PRINTED; I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE FIRST GOTTEN THE DISPATCHER ON THE SATCOM AND TALKED DIRECTLY TO HIM. WE COULD HAVE SAID TO REMOVE THE ALTERNATE AND WE WOULD HAVE GAINED BACK 12500 LBS OF FUEL. AS IT WAS; I THINK WE WERE 1300 LBS LOWER THAN WE NEEDED TO HAVE THE CORRECT CLRED FUEL. SECONDLY; I SHOULD HAVE GONE BACK TO THE GATE AND STRAIGHTENED THIS OUT; PULLING OFF MORE CARGO AGAIN AND TOPPED OFF THE FUEL. AFTER TKOF WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE AND SEE HOW IT WORKED OUT AFTER CONTACTING THE DISPATCHER. AS IT WAS; WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL AT THE RE-DISPATCH POINT EVEN WITH THE ALTERNATE; DESPITE THE ALTERNATE NOT BEING REQUIRED.