Is this safe?
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, North Shore
Is this safe?
gone
Last edited by Ralliart on Sat Jan 08, 2005 3:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Ralliart,
A fuel leak is NEVER a safe condition especially one in the engine compartment.
The two biggest problems is fire and fuel starvation.
Even if it's "the same old fuel leak" and it will be ok til maintenance looks at, this could be the time it's a cracked fitting ready to break off. You get the picture, right.
Fuel is one of the only things keeping you in the air, so
DON"T MESS WITH IT!!
IF your a private guy have it looked at asap and if you are working for a commercial operator PUT IT IN THE LOG BOOK and have it looked at asap!!
But this is just my opinion.
So just ask your self this, are you prepared to fly an airplane that MIGHT lose it's ability to make power due to fuel starvation or catch on fire.
Can you tell I take fuel leaks seriously?
A fuel leak is NEVER a safe condition especially one in the engine compartment.
The two biggest problems is fire and fuel starvation.
Even if it's "the same old fuel leak" and it will be ok til maintenance looks at, this could be the time it's a cracked fitting ready to break off. You get the picture, right.
Fuel is one of the only things keeping you in the air, so
DON"T MESS WITH IT!!
IF your a private guy have it looked at asap and if you are working for a commercial operator PUT IT IN THE LOG BOOK and have it looked at asap!!
But this is just my opinion.
So just ask your self this, are you prepared to fly an airplane that MIGHT lose it's ability to make power due to fuel starvation or catch on fire.
Can you tell I take fuel leaks seriously?
AMEs perspective.
I worked at a place in TO that had a leak on the FCU on a caravan. The pilot found it on the walk around. The plane was parked at an airport within 10 min flight to the airport the company was based at.
The pilot agreed to fly the plane to the main base so maintenance could be done. Nice guy to take a leaking FCU up to 5,000 ft and back down to help maintenance, right?
When he got to the hangar he was chewed out by the stupid production manager for not keeping the plane all day and doing his routes instead of taking a maintenance delay.
What kind of idiotic reaction is that? He's lucky the pilot didn't just strand the plane where it was and say tough luck.
But apparently some people don't think a fuel leak is too important, I guess. There's always another pilot looking for work that will replace the one who was injured in the crash. No biggee.....
Dumb.........
The pilot agreed to fly the plane to the main base so maintenance could be done. Nice guy to take a leaking FCU up to 5,000 ft and back down to help maintenance, right?
When he got to the hangar he was chewed out by the stupid production manager for not keeping the plane all day and doing his routes instead of taking a maintenance delay.
What kind of idiotic reaction is that? He's lucky the pilot didn't just strand the plane where it was and say tough luck.
But apparently some people don't think a fuel leak is too important, I guess. There's always another pilot looking for work that will replace the one who was injured in the crash. No biggee.....
Dumb.........
I think the guy who flew the Caravan back to base should have stayed right there untill the problem was fixed. It's a commercial operation. If they pressured him into flying it back...they guy doing the talking at the base should be given his walking papers.
Guy/gals...nobody's ever going to thank you for flying a sick airplane home. And if something hits the fan...you'll be in that fan with it!
Now, the guy with the leaky Cessna...you are kidding...right? I mean, you would have to be a brain dead carp to even consider flying an airplane with a fuel leak!!
And you guys working for a commercial operator...if you have a problem in the field...call your DOM, NOT your DFO, or your CP!!! The AME guys will tell you straight! The ops guys just want you in the air..and the air aint where you want to be sometimes!
Guy/gals...nobody's ever going to thank you for flying a sick airplane home. And if something hits the fan...you'll be in that fan with it!
Now, the guy with the leaky Cessna...you are kidding...right? I mean, you would have to be a brain dead carp to even consider flying an airplane with a fuel leak!!
And you guys working for a commercial operator...if you have a problem in the field...call your DOM, NOT your DFO, or your CP!!! The AME guys will tell you straight! The ops guys just want you in the air..and the air aint where you want to be sometimes!
I remember an accident 5 years ago around Victoria involving a MiG 21. Guy from the US came in to fly a missile profile for the Canadian Navy. There were some AME's outside taking a look at it on the ramp and the pilot offered to take one of them up for a flight. One of the AME's commented about fuel that was leaking from the midpoint of the aircraft. The pilot said it had been doing that for a couple of weeks and pulled out a drip tray for it. All the AME's refused the flight at that point. The pilot went out for a couple of hours and came back, this time with an even larger leak from the same point. He still didn't seem fazed about it and left on his second flight later in the afternoon. The aircraft exploded off the coast of the island at 25,000 ft. While a SE Cessna is not a MiG, I think about that plane every time I see a leak.
OK. . .I'm glad everyone agrees. . .fuel leaks are not good.
Some aircraft maintenance manuals mention allowable leaks but they generally state something like 1 drop per 15-30 minutes or a stain of a set dimension.
Further if they have the potential to migrate to an ignition source then immediate action is required.
AMEs are generally your best bet for advice, not another pilot or an Ops manager.
Some aircraft maintenance manuals mention allowable leaks but they generally state something like 1 drop per 15-30 minutes or a stain of a set dimension.
Further if they have the potential to migrate to an ignition source then immediate action is required.
AMEs are generally your best bet for advice, not another pilot or an Ops manager.
