Australian aircraft owners warned to check piston engines for deposits before flying

Airline Industry Information, Dec 24, 1999

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority has issued a warning to all light aircraft with piston engines to check their engines for deposits before flying.

The warning results from a discovery of contaminated fuel that recently forced one light aircraft in Victoria to abort takeoff because the engine failed. The contamination was discovered when the aircraft engine was stripped back and engineers found that fuel had been corroding parts of the fuel system and the carburettor causing deposits in the engine.

So far the source of the contamination is unknown, but fuel tampering is not suspected.

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