Filtering Fuel?

[patrolpilot]

Originally Posted by JimC

What evidence do you have that contaminants in FBO fuel are causing problems in GA aircraft?

Fuel contamination in the US is not an issue.

I'm going through a CFII refresher, working on a ME add on, and NTSB accident statistics were presented for a decade ending in 2016 (the latest available as settling all causes takes about two years). The attached images are those relating to fuel. The black bar are fatal accidents.

There were two General Aviation accidents related to fuel contamination in that decade and I'm willing to bet that the fuel was not delivered that way. It is possible the contamination came after the fact from extreme condensation within the fuel tanks or an external source like rain or melting snow.

You are 15 times more likely to come up short with planning the fuel for a flight, I'd say especially with a 337 because of the inability to see into the tanks. Same with mismanaging the fuel load, there have been a number of these in pre-"G" Skymasters.

I think my recommendation of avoiding fuel contamination is the best bet. If you cannot see the lettering on a fuel hose, don't use it. If you need it, have the FBO provide a clean bucket and buy a gallon to run the "Clear & Bright" test yourself. That gallon will reveal any contaminants.

Aviation, these types of things, have always been self-policing, at least in this country. I don't have a problem letting the FBO know that they have sloppy practices.

[patrolpilot]

I will add that if contaminates ended up in my fuel tanks, I sure would buy that funnel to drain the fuel through.

Brings up another thought. If you ever need 55 gallon poly barrels, go to an AG airplane operator. They always have too many of them. Here, they will give you a truck load of them. They even gave me two, 250-gallon square tanks that have the external tubing frames.

[n86121]

I am a private citizen not bound by gov procurement to requirements-only, and a pilot, so at Potomac I went with the Rolls Royce of fuel filters on the end of each dispenser.

Many airports may not have done so.

As I recall each filter housing was around $1,500 maybe 10 years ago, and we have four dispensers. That wasn't including the filters.

Because they have an easy visual check, and a simple drain valve should any water be present, we haven't had to touch them.

Again, many airports may not have wanted to drop nearly $10k on dispenser filters.

[hharney]

I don't want to jinx myself but 44 years of flying the same 337 and I have never has a contamination issue with fuel. Water in the sumps, sure, many times but that's why there are sumps and the checklist says to check them. I think there are better items to worry about.