PA31 return land at gso after being fueled with wrong type fuel.

Attributes
ACN	420696
Time
Date	199811
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gso airport : gso
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	420696
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other

Narrative:

I was returning on a scheduled course flight from atlanta. Due to fog and low ceilings, I had planned on landing at rdu, but was required to deviation to gso due to low visibility there as well. After landing at gso, I had made the decision to fly to raleigh due to improving conditions. Before my departure, I ordered 30 gallons of fuel. During the fueling, I filed an IFR flight plan, paid for the fuel and then made a departure off runway 23. While climbing out on a heading of 090 degrees to 5000 ft, I discovered that the cylinder head temperatures were passed at 500 degrees F, redline, and the engines were running a little rough. I then proceeded to check the cowl flaps which I found to be open. Next, I adjusted the mixture controls but found that the egt would not rise above midpoint. At this point I was passing 3000 ft, and decided to inform the controller of my situation and the need to return to the airport. From this point, I was vectored for an ILS approach to runway 23. When I reduced power upon leveling off at 3000 ft, the cylinder head temperatures dropped to 400 degrees. I landed safely after an approach to minimums and taxied to the ramp where I had purchased the fuel. The thought of fuel contamination did come to mind and was confirmed by the line person who had misfueled my airplane. This whole event could have been avoided if the line person fueling the airplane (who had only 2 months experience) was supervised by myself and/or the more experienced person who was working at the time. Also, the fuel truck could have been equipped with larger nozzles like most other jet fuel trucks. Also, I should have checked the odor of the fuel as a precautionary measure to make sure it was that of 100LL. After the incident, I found out that the line person mistakenly idented my airplane as a cheyenne, so if I had been more specific in my verbal order of fuel as to the make and model of the aircraft as well as the fuel type, this incident would have never occurred. If all FBO's required their customers to fill out a fuel order form this type of incident could be avoided altogether.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 RETURN LAND AT GSO AFTER BEING FUELED WITH WRONG TYPE FUEL.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING ON A SCHEDULED COURSE FLT FROM ATLANTA. DUE TO FOG AND LOW CEILINGS, I HAD PLANNED ON LNDG AT RDU, BUT WAS REQUIRED TO DEV TO GSO DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY THERE AS WELL. AFTER LNDG AT GSO, I HAD MADE THE DECISION TO FLY TO RALEIGH DUE TO IMPROVING CONDITIONS. BEFORE MY DEP, I ORDERED 30 GALLONS OF FUEL. DURING THE FUELING, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN, PAID FOR THE FUEL AND THEN MADE A DEP OFF RWY 23. WHILE CLBING OUT ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS TO 5000 FT, I DISCOVERED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPS WERE PASSED AT 500 DEGS F, REDLINE, AND THE ENGS WERE RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CHK THE COWL FLAPS WHICH I FOUND TO BE OPEN. NEXT, I ADJUSTED THE MIXTURE CTLS BUT FOUND THAT THE EGT WOULD NOT RISE ABOVE MIDPOINT. AT THIS POINT I WAS PASSING 3000 FT, AND DECIDED TO INFORM THE CTLR OF MY SIT AND THE NEED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. FROM THIS POINT, I WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 23. WHEN I REDUCED PWR UPON LEVELING OFF AT 3000 FT, THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPS DROPPED TO 400 DEGS. I LANDED SAFELY AFTER AN APCH TO MINIMUMS AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE FUEL. THE THOUGHT OF FUEL CONTAMINATION DID COME TO MIND AND WAS CONFIRMED BY THE LINE PERSON WHO HAD MISFUELED MY AIRPLANE. THIS WHOLE EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE LINE PERSON FUELING THE AIRPLANE (WHO HAD ONLY 2 MONTHS EXPERIENCE) WAS SUPERVISED BY MYSELF AND/OR THE MORE EXPERIENCED PERSON WHO WAS WORKING AT THE TIME. ALSO, THE FUEL TRUCK COULD HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH LARGER NOZZLES LIKE MOST OTHER JET FUEL TRUCKS. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE ODOR OF THE FUEL AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE TO MAKE SURE IT WAS THAT OF 100LL. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I FOUND OUT THAT THE LINE PERSON MISTAKENLY IDENTED MY AIRPLANE AS A CHEYENNE, SO IF I HAD BEEN MORE SPECIFIC IN MY VERBAL ORDER OF FUEL AS TO THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE ACFT AS WELL AS THE FUEL TYPE, THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED. IF ALL FBO'S REQUIRED THEIR CUSTOMERS TO FILL OUT A FUEL ORDER FORM THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT COULD BE AVOIDED ALTOGETHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.