Narrative:

This situation actually involved 16 aircraft (all either low or high wing, reciprocating type aircraft) that received contaminated fuel (100LL AVGAS with jet fuel mixed in it) that was distributed to the airport by FBO at the ft pierce airport in ft pierce, fl. The aircraft I was flying was one of the aircraft that received the contaminated fuel from FBO. It was learned that this fuel was contaminated at the 100LL AVGAS main tank that the FBO maintained. It was later learned that an order of 8000 gals of jet fuel had been accidentally added to the 100LL AVGAS tank. This created a contaminated mixture of kerosene and 100LL. The line boys got fuel from the main tank and put it in their 2 100LL AVGAS trucks which created the next level of contamination. Then the 2 contaminated trucks were used to fuel 16 aircraft which created another level of contamination. This was a very difficult situation to detect. The contaminated fuel still looked like 100LL, blue color was very much present. A total of 4 aircraft actually got airborne with this contaminated fuel. I feel this situation needs attention (the mix of 100LL and jet fuel) and should be reviewed for improved safety awareness. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the event started with the gentleman that delivered the jet fuel and inadvertently dumped it into the wrong tank or thought he was dumping AVGAS when it was jet fuel. In any event, the contamination was discovered almost by accident by a high wing pilot that spilled some fuel on himself while checking his tanks from the bottom side. The faint smell of jet fuel and the greasy feel made him suspicious and he conferred with a couple of other aircraft owners who were doing preflts and they collectively decided that the AVGAS was contaminated with jet fuel and reported it to the office of the FBO. Insurance is paying for new engines on several aircraft including mine. Hopefully the FBO is setting up some testing procedure to prevent it happening again. I feel the FAA should provide stricter guidelines for FBO's to test their fuel after each delivery.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE SMA ACFT REFUELED BY FBO WITH MIX OF JET FUEL AND AVGAS. REPORTER TOOK OFF TWICE AND RETURNED EACH TIME, GROUNDED ACFT FOR REPLACEMENT OF ENGINES WHEN FUEL MIX WAS VERIFIED.

Narrative: THIS SITUATION ACTUALLY INVOLVED 16 ACFT (ALL EITHER LOW OR HIGH WING, RECIPROCATING TYPE ACFT) THAT RECEIVED CONTAMINATED FUEL (100LL AVGAS WITH JET FUEL MIXED IN IT) THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO THE ARPT BY FBO AT THE FT PIERCE ARPT IN FT PIERCE, FL. THE ACFT I WAS FLYING WAS ONE OF THE ACFT THAT RECEIVED THE CONTAMINATED FUEL FROM FBO. IT WAS LEARNED THAT THIS FUEL WAS CONTAMINATED AT THE 100LL AVGAS MAIN TANK THAT THE FBO MAINTAINED. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT AN ORDER OF 8000 GALS OF JET FUEL HAD BEEN ACCIDENTALLY ADDED TO THE 100LL AVGAS TANK. THIS CREATED A CONTAMINATED MIXTURE OF KEROSENE AND 100LL. THE LINE BOYS GOT FUEL FROM THE MAIN TANK AND PUT IT IN THEIR 2 100LL AVGAS TRUCKS WHICH CREATED THE NEXT LEVEL OF CONTAMINATION. THEN THE 2 CONTAMINATED TRUCKS WERE USED TO FUEL 16 ACFT WHICH CREATED ANOTHER LEVEL OF CONTAMINATION. THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION TO DETECT. THE CONTAMINATED FUEL STILL LOOKED LIKE 100LL, BLUE COLOR WAS VERY MUCH PRESENT. A TOTAL OF 4 ACFT ACTUALLY GOT AIRBORNE WITH THIS CONTAMINATED FUEL. I FEEL THIS SITUATION NEEDS ATTN (THE MIX OF 100LL AND JET FUEL) AND SHOULD BE REVIEWED FOR IMPROVED SAFETY AWARENESS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE EVENT STARTED WITH THE GENTLEMAN THAT DELIVERED THE JET FUEL AND INADVERTENTLY DUMPED IT INTO THE WRONG TANK OR THOUGHT HE WAS DUMPING AVGAS WHEN IT WAS JET FUEL. IN ANY EVENT, THE CONTAMINATION WAS DISCOVERED ALMOST BY ACCIDENT BY A HIGH WING PLT THAT SPILLED SOME FUEL ON HIMSELF WHILE CHECKING HIS TANKS FROM THE BOTTOM SIDE. THE FAINT SMELL OF JET FUEL AND THE GREASY FEEL MADE HIM SUSPICIOUS AND HE CONFERRED WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER ACFT OWNERS WHO WERE DOING PREFLTS AND THEY COLLECTIVELY DECIDED THAT THE AVGAS WAS CONTAMINATED WITH JET FUEL AND REPORTED IT TO THE OFFICE OF THE FBO. INSURANCE IS PAYING FOR NEW ENGINES ON SEVERAL ACFT INCLUDING MINE. HOPEFULLY THE FBO IS SETTING UP SOME TESTING PROC TO PREVENT IT HAPPENING AGAIN. I FEEL THE FAA SHOULD PROVIDE STRICTER GUIDELINES FOR FBO'S TO TEST THEIR FUEL AFTER EACH DELIVERY.

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.