I've thought a lot about the "Tacoma" incident and have a question to ask those with auxiliary fuel tanks: "Is it possible fuel could move in your system without you knowing about it?" I.E. the quoted "Fuel Starvation" situation referenced below.
If gravity is the primary fuel flow design to the engine, gravity could also move the fuel "elsewhere". Like out a vent, an overflow, the "wrong way" through a fuel selector valve or even through a failed backflow/ check valve. (The failed backflow/ check valve situation happened in my Cardinal's vent lines many years ago.) I encourage everyone who has multiple tanks to do a real-world inspection/ test of your system to see if your fuel could (or DOES!) move the wrong way. This might even be part of a regular inspection program. Like everyone else, I applaud the safe outcome last week by the KR2 pilot who put his airplane on the ground without any injury or damage to it or other people or property. Well done Sir! Supplemental reading: In light of the recent and very successful off-airport landing in a KR2, the FAA posted an initial finding; (https://www.asias.faa.gov/apex/f?p=100:96:16319109398827::::P96_ENTRY_DATE, P96_FATAL_FLG,P96_MAKE_NAME:02-AUG-19 ) "AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF GAS AND LANDED ON PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY." I think there was gas in the airplane, just not where it could make its way to the engine. If so, this certainly isn't the first time as many incidents have occurred in aircraft with complex fuel systems and multiple valves in the design. AOPA has several articles online about this issue. Quote from https://pilot-protection-services.aopa.org/news/2018/september/01/runnin-on- empty "Running out of gas in the air is not quite as simple as it might seem. Running out of gas is referred to by the NTSB as "fuel exhaustion." There are also accidents, called "fuel starvation," that occur when there is still gas in the tanks that doesn't reach the engines. This can be due to things like improperly set fuel selector, water contamination, or cross feed errors. Fuel exhaustion accounted for 56% of fuel-related accidents while fuel starvation was responsible for 35% of these accidents. Other incidental incidents complete the package." Elsewhere in that quoted article, AOPA says these types of incidents happen 2 or 3 times per week. John Bouyea KR-2S - 709 TTAF OR81/ Hillsboro, OR 2015 KR@MMV Gathering CoHost _______________________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at https://www.mail-archive.com/krnet@list.krnet.org/. Please see LIST RULES and KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html. see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change options. To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@list.krnet.org
