A BE-55 PLT EXPERIENCES AN ENG SHUTDOWN WHILE STILL ON THE GND DUE TO CONTAMINATED FUEL AT CDH.

Date: 2004-02 · Aircraft: Baron 55/Cochise

Anomalies: other-contaminated-fuel

Synopsis

A BE-55 PLT EXPERIENCES AN ENG SHUTDOWN WHILE STILL ON THE GND DUE TO CONTAMINATED FUEL AT CDH.

Narrative

I ARR ON BUSINESS; TOLD FBO OPERATOR TO TOP OFF WITH 100 LL. WHEN I RETURNED TO LEAVE; ENG (R) DIED. UPON INSPECTION; FUEL WAS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED WITH WATER. ARPT PERSONNEL AND I MUST HAVE SUMPED OUT SEVERAL GALLONS OF WATER FROM ACFT FUEL TANKS. UPON CHECKING ARPT FUEL PUMP FILTERS; WE FOUND THE FILTERS TO BE TOTALLY FULL OF WATER WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL TO BE FOUND. ARPT PERSONNEL WERE HELPFUL IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE SITUATION; BUT WERE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. FORTUNATELY I AM HERE TO WRITE THIS REPORT. DURING THE TIME WE WERE SUMPING THE ACFT TANKS; ARPT PERSONNEL WERE 'HOT FUELING' TWO CROP DUSTERS (OUT OF THE SAME TANKS) THAT WERE ATTEMPTING TO EXTINGUISH A FIRE NW OF THE ARPT. THIS ARPT HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR FUEL SYSTEM AND I FELT IT TO BE MY DUTY AS A PLT TO REPORT IT ACCORDINGLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING CALLBACK; RPTR EXPLAINED THAT HIS BE-55'S R ENG FAILED DURING RUN UP. HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED USING THE BOOST PUMPS AND WAS ABLE TO TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. AT THE RAMP; THE PLT DRAINED TWO GALLONS OF WATER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL SUMP. THE RPTR NOTIFIED THE FUEL VENDOR; WHO IS A PRIVATE COMPANY CONTRACTED THROUGH THE CITY; ABOUT THE CONTAMINATED FUEL. THE FUELER FOUND THAT THE FILTER ON THE STORAGE TANK WAS FILLED WITH SOLID WATER. THE RPTR SAW OTHER ACFT THAT WERE FIGHTING A LOCAL FIRE CONTINUE TO BE FUELED. HE WAS NOT CERTAIN IF THOSE ACFT EXPERIENCED ANY TROUBLE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.