Pilot of light aircraft aborts takeoff when splattered by cold fluid and notices strong 'fuel' odor.

Attributes
ACN	118043
Time
Date	198907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gls
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 510 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	118043
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft start up, taxi and ground check were all normal. During taxi my passenger and I noticed a faint fuel smell.I did not think this strange for a rental aircraft. When all checklists were completed, I looked for traffic and announced my departure on the unicom frequency (122.95). I applied power slowly and the plane accelerated normally. As the manifold pressure passed 32' hg I felt cold fluid splattering on my right hand and noticed a sudden appearance of a very strong fuel odor. I closed the throttle and aborted the takeoff. As we rolled out I had my passenger undo her safety strap and open the aircraft door. I released my safety straps. At the first turn off I eased the plane off the runway. Once clear I pulled the mixture and ordered my passenger out of the plane and positioned myself by the door, where I turned off the ignition and master switch. After the fuel smell subsided I reentered the aircraft and turned on the anti-collision lights to prevent a ground incident while we went in search of a tow. It was later discovered that the compass had cracked and leaked fluid during the takeoff roll and that was the fluid which caused the smell and the splattering.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LIGHT ACFT ABORTS TKOF WHEN SPLATTERED BY COLD FLUID AND NOTICES STRONG 'FUEL' ODOR.

Narrative: ACFT START UP, TAXI AND GND CHK WERE ALL NORMAL. DURING TAXI MY PAX AND I NOTICED A FAINT FUEL SMELL.I DID NOT THINK THIS STRANGE FOR A RENTAL ACFT. WHEN ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED, I LOOKED FOR TFC AND ANNOUNCED MY DEP ON THE UNICOM FREQ (122.95). I APPLIED PWR SLOWLY AND THE PLANE ACCELERATED NORMALLY. AS THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE PASSED 32' HG I FELT COLD FLUID SPLATTERING ON MY RIGHT HAND AND NOTICED A SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF A VERY STRONG FUEL ODOR. I CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND ABORTED THE TKOF. AS WE ROLLED OUT I HAD MY PAX UNDO HER SAFETY STRAP AND OPEN THE ACFT DOOR. I RELEASED MY SAFETY STRAPS. AT THE FIRST TURN OFF I EASED THE PLANE OFF THE RWY. ONCE CLR I PULLED THE MIXTURE AND ORDERED MY PAX OUT OF THE PLANE AND POSITIONED MYSELF BY THE DOOR, WHERE I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND MASTER SWITCH. AFTER THE FUEL SMELL SUBSIDED I REENTERED THE ACFT AND TURNED ON THE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS TO PREVENT A GND INCIDENT WHILE WE WENT IN SEARCH OF A TOW. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE COMPASS HAD CRACKED AND LEAKED FLUID DURING THE TKOF ROLL AND THAT WAS THE FLUID WHICH CAUSED THE SMELL AND THE SPLATTERING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.