For the second time in nine months, the business aviation industry has experienced a contaminated fuel incident.
A Fair Wind Air Charter aircraft was forced to return to Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport Aug. 14 after the crew received multiple clogged fuel line filter warnings. One of the engines then failed, and a second engine became unresponsive to throttle inputs.
Contamination occurred when Jet-A fuel was mixed with diesel exhaust fluid, an investigation found. This caused crystals to form in the fuel system. The fluid is meant for diesel-powered ground vehicles operating on public roads.
A fuel system icing inhibitor additive tank, which had been removed from a truck for repair, was accidentally refiled with the fluid.
It is possible other aircraft at the airport were affected before the problem was discovered.
A similar incident occurred in November. That incident forced the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a bulletin warning about contamination.
“Despite that advisory, this latest incident demonstrates that while rare, these incidents do occur and highlights the need to closely examine methods to mitigate and eliminate the potential hazard,” Ed Bolen, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) president and CEO said.
The NBAA and other industry stakeholders will coordinate a hazard assessment at the urging of Fair Wind.