A ghost that haunted the aeronautical community, mainly those who operate planes powered by aviation gasoline (Avgas) has once again brought concern to pilots and operators in different parts of the country: the quality of aviation fuel.
Since the middle of March 2023, reports of cases of foreign elements in gasoline from more recent batches have been circulating among groups of pilots and aircraft mechanics. Professionals and owners allege that the petroleum derivative has foreign substances or non-standard coloring, such as straw or yellowish color.
“After the truck filled up, I went to drain it and saw a strange color. From the color, I thought it was jet (Jet A1, the kerosene used in jets), but no, the smell was really gasoline”, said a pilot of cirrus that AEROFLAP ed.
There have also been reports of grease-like substances in fuel drained from aircraft fueled in the region of Resende, Rio de Janeiro. According to the operator of the aircraft, it was not possible to say precisely where the supply with the gasoline with problems occurred, due to the fact that it had refueled at different points where it flew.
“The fact is that we have to be attentive and not hesitate when doing the pre-flight check”, said the aeronaut in a group on social networks.
In the South, some pilots have reported cases where the fuel that was recently filled led to leaks in the pipes and hoses that connect the tanks on the wings of the aircraft. One of these professionals forwarded an image of the plane he was operating (a Cirrus SR22) with an apparent discharge of the product near the drain region.
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The fear of impure fuels is nothing new for the aeronautical community. In mid-2020, the problem with aviation gasoline left pilots and owners scared by the large number of cases of non-standard fuel. At the time, the number of cases was much higher, which made several pilots suspend operations for fear of having breakdowns such as engine shutdown or corrosion of hoses by “baptized gasoline”.
At the time, this fear was strengthened after images of a Beech Baron that had an accident after an attempted go-around due to a fire on board, in Campo de Marte (SBMT), on July 08, 2020. Although it is not possible to establish a concrete relationship between the case of non-standard fuel and the multi-engine one, due to the fact that the accident is still being investigated by the competent bodies (CENIPA), it is a fact that professionals are afraid of the reported cases.
Some have even hypothesized the number of accidents and incidents that have occurred in recent weeks with this fact.
“It is not normal for so many cases of engine shutdown in such a short time lately”, said a crew member of a light twin engine. “We have to take care of ourselves, only supply from extremely reliable companies”, advised a crew member, in audio on social media.
AEROFLAP sent an email to some fuel suppliers for their positioning, but had not yet received a response by the time this report was closed. As the notes were sent, they will be updated here.
Video sent by pilot showing engine with non-standard gasoline:
Micael Rocha was a flight instructor for four years, is a checker at aeroclubs and CIACs, has flown C525, C525B and C208B Caravan in air taxis and has been flying Cirrus SR22 since 2013.
@aeroereview
