Certain piston aircraft are particularly susceptible to mis-fueling
incidents and you should be especially vigilant if you are flying one
of these birds.
Among them are the TURBO charged versions of many airplanes. In
the desire to be the hottest thing going, manufacturers often labeled
their aircraft "TURBO" or some such designation. And inadequately
trained linemen thinking that these were kerosene burning jet airplanes
of some sort often put JET FUEL where AVGAS should have gone.
This created a lethal comgination for many unsuspecting pilots.
The plane would start and apparently run ok, even enough for takeoff,
but would start having engine detonation problems about the time
the point of no return was reached on takeoff, causing a engine
failure shortly after takeoff at low altitude, resulting in a
fatal crash."
This scenario has been repeated many times, usually with some pilot
and passengers getting killed.
Aero Commander aircraft seem to be particularly susceptible to this
sort of mis-fueling, as do Piper Turbo Arrow aircraft and other
airplanes with TURBO painted on them
IF You Suspect Fuel Contamination Do NOT FLY!!! Check it out first.
A simple way to test for jet fuel contamination of AVGAS is to
take a fuel sample, put a drop of fuel on a piece of white paper.
If there is a 5% or more concentration of jet fuel in the
avgas, it will leave a visible oily residue, turning the paper
translucent. If it is avgas only, the avgas will evaporate cleanly
and leave no trace. (i developed this test and gave it to
the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. It was later validated by NASA.
You can get a copy of the report from AOPA ASF, Frederick Airport,
Frederick, MD)
Another way to avoid fueling accidents is to BE PRESENT EVERY
SINGLE TIME WHEN YOUR PLANE IS RE-FUELED. NEVER TURN YOUR BACK
ON THIS PROCEEDING.
Always VISUALLY Check the fuel truck to be sure you are getting the appropriate
fuel Yourself. LOOK AT THE FUEL TRUCK.
Always VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL LEVEL YOURSELF AFTER FUELING. (lOOK INSIDE
THE TANK)
ALWAYS put the fuel cap back on YOURSELF. Check that it is secure
so it won't come loose in flight.
NEVER RELY ON A LINEMAN FOR THESE PARTICULAR INSPECTIONS.
The Most Common Cause of Inflight Engine Failure
Running out of fuel is the most common cause of in flight engine failure.
If you follow the safety procedures above, you can go a long way
to preventing an engine failure.
EVERY Flight
(1) Watch the re-fueling. BE PRESENT while this is going on.
(2) Visually make sure they are puttinG the right sort of fuel in
the aircraft. (the truck is marked AVGAS or JET FUEL.... Look at it
(3) Look in the tank after the fueling and KNOW what the fuel
level is.
(4) ALWAYS Put the fuel cap back on YOURSELF. Make sure it is aligned
properly and closes properly. If it comes loose your fuel will
siphon out without your being aware of what is happening.
(5) Keep a LARGE RESERVE of fuel. The lower your experience level
the more important this is.
It gives you the luxury of time to
sort out a problem if you are lost, dis-oriented, or otherwise
have a time consuming problem in flight. If you are low on fuel,
your anxiety level will increase exponentially, making it difficult
to think under stress and increase your chance of an accident.
After my first experience long ago in nearly running out of gas,
I have made it a practice, to KEEP ONE FULL TANK in reserve.
I use a little bit of it in flight to confirm it is not contaminated
and I when I am sure it is ok, I use it for the next takeoff and
keep the other tank full for the next leg. This way, I minimize
further the chance of getting caught by surprise, either on takeoff
or landing, with contaminated fuel.
Losing an engine on takeoff, at night, or on landing is VERY
DISCONCERTING.
Today's navigation equipment makes it possible to navigate
more precisely. However this stuff can and does fail. If you
are low on fuel when it happens (the usual situation), then
your chance for running out of gas goes way up.
This is even more true at night, in haze, or limited visibility
conditions
Like this Website? ....Tell a Friend....Click Here....Thanks Fred
