A misfueling is when an aircraft receives the incorrect type, grade or amount of fuel. NATA Safety 1st committee member, Bill Moody, from AirBP, contributes the following to help FBOs and pilots prevent aircraft misfueling.
“Everything was fine during our take-off…”
No Fair Warning: If an Avgas powered aircraft is inadvertently refueled with Jet Fuel, there can be sufficient Avgas remaining in the aircraft’s fuel lines and carburetors to enable the aircraft to taxi and even take off. When the Jet Fuel reaches the engine, often at a critical time during take-off, the engine can fail and cause a forced landing or worse – the aircraft may crash.
A similar situation can occur if Avgas is put onto an aircraft which should have been refueled with Jet Fuel. (Fortunately, the consequences of this are usually less serious).
The wrong fuel. The wrong choice.
Avgas and Jet-A Don’t Mix: Every year around the world a number of aircraft are refueled with the incorrect grade of fuel. Fortunately, this error is usually detected before the aircraft takes off but, sadly, this is not always the case. We continue to see reports of incidents and even aircraft crashes resulting from misfueling. You can reinforce refueling procedures and line service training and help to ensure that your aircraft is NEVER misfueled by taking the following actions:
- Trust But Verify
- Teamwork – Verbal/Visual Verification
- The simplest and most effective way to help prevent a Misfueling is for you to verbally and visually confirm the required fuel grade with the line service person before fueling your aircraft.
- Verbally verify the grade of fuel you require with the Line Service professional and visually check the fuel grade markings on the refueling vehicle or dispenser BEFORE fueling your aircraft.
- Teamwork – Verbal/Visual Verification
- No Decal – No Fuel
- Fuel Grade Labels
- Most aircraft are placarded for fuel type at the fueling port. Fueling staff should be trained to check for those placards and deliver only the type and grade of fuel specified on those placards. We should encourage everyone to fit fuel grade and type placards to the over-wing refueling ports of aircraft.
- Fuel Grade Labels
- Look Before You Sign
- Signed Fuel Order Forms
- Many FBOs now require aircraft service requests be completed and signed by the pilot for all aircraft fuel services. This is an effective way for the pilot to confirm the aircraft identification, fuel grade required by their aircraft, fuel quantity, and other important service details before line service personnel begin to service the aircraft. We should encourage pilots to adopt this policy for all over-wing fuelings.
- Signed Fuel Order Forms
- Are you Nozzle Savvy?
- Selective Fuel Orifice
- Selective Fuel Nozzle Spouts and Aircraft Fuel Tank Restrictor Plates: Do you know which nozzle should be used on your aircraft, and why? All Avgas powered aircraft with over-wing fueling ports should have an opening smaller than 2”. Low cost restrictor plates are available for larger openings.
- Avgas Nozzle – 1” spout
- Jet Fuel Nozzle (J-Spout) – 2 ½” oval spout. The intent is that the 2 ½” J- spout for Jet Fuel will not fit into the tank opening on an avgas powered aircraft fitted with the restrictor plate.
- THE BAD GUY! Jet Fuel Nozzle (Straight Spout) – 1 ½” spout. Be on the lookout for Jet Fuel nozzles fitted with this spout. It will fit into an avgas aircraft even with the restrictor plate. These should not be installed on Jet Fuel nozzles!
- Selective Fuel Orifice
ALWAYS MAKE SURE.
For more information or to complete the FREE Safety 1st General Aviation Misfueling Prevention Program by visiting: www.preventmisfueling.com.
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