Las Cruces Cessna 421 crash - wrong fuel

As an aside...

Some owners of turbocharged or turbonormalized Cirrus' have the "TURBO" decals removed.

Why? An absentminded lineman can see "TURBO" and think "TURBINE" and that can be the first link in the chain.

I believe it has happened.
 
FastEddieB said:
As an aside...

Some owners of turbocharged or turbonormalized Cirrus' have the "TURBO" decals removed.

Why? An absentminded lineman can see "TURBO" and think "TURBINE" and that can be the first link in the chain.

I believe it has happened.
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Oh Geez. Next someone will be along quoting the regs and arguing if it's a required placard.
 
Some things in aviation remain constant...

The readiness to blame a dead pilot for an accident is nauseating, but it has been the tendency ever since I can remember. What pilot has not been in positions where he was in danger and where perfect judgment would have advised against going? But when a man is caught in such a position he is judged only by his error and seldom given credit for the times he has extricated himself from worse situations. Worst of all, blame is heaped upon him by other pilots, all of whom have been in parallel situations themselves, but without being caught in them. If one took no chances, one would not fly at all. Safety lies in the judgment of the chances one takes.

Charles Lindbergh, journal entry 26 August 1938, published in The Wartime Journals, 1970.
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Back in the 80's I worked for a 135 operator In VA Falwell Aviation. One of the 421 went to Kennedy on a charter. Request that the tip tank be topped off for the return trip to W24
The Captn Bud Melton ( RIP) taught all us new guys a life saving trick that day. Bud had a regular habit of putting two fingers in the fuel. If they come out oily/slick its Jet A if the fuel dries and leaves a chalky residue on your fingers its 100LL.
Bud dipped his fingers into the tip tanks that day and came up with Jet A. He went inside demanded that the tanks be pumped out. flushed out and refueled with 100 LL and the lineman be fired. He got everthing he ask for an flew home without incident
\
 
CAPTNFRISBEE said:
Back in the 80's I worked for a 135 operator In VA Falwell Aviation. One of the 421 went to Kennedy on a charter. Request that the tip tank be topped off for the return trip to W24
The Captn Bud Melton ( RIP) taught all us new guys a life saving trick that day. Bud had a regular habit of putting two fingers in the fuel. If they come out oily/slick its Jet A if the fuel dries and leaves a chalky residue on your fingers its 100LL.
Bud dipped his fingers into the tip tanks that day and came up with Jet A. He went inside demanded that the tanks be pumped out. flushed out and refueled with 100 LL and the lineman be fired. He got everthing he ask for an flew home without incident
\
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Capt Bud seems arrogant and lost on the idea of the training value for the young lad's mistake. I would not let a customer tell me to fire an employee. Customers are sometimes easier to replace.
 
CAPTNFRISBEE said:
Back in the 80's I worked for a 135 operator In VA Falwell Aviation. One of the 421 went to Kennedy on a charter. Request that the tip tank be topped off for the return trip to W24
The Captn Bud Melton ( RIP) taught all us new guys a life saving trick that day. Bud had a regular habit of putting two fingers in the fuel. If they come out oily/slick its Jet A if the fuel dries and leaves a chalky residue on your fingers its 100LL.
Bud dipped his fingers into the tip tanks that day and came up with Jet A. He went inside demanded that the tanks be pumped out. flushed out and refueled with 100 LL and the lineman be fired. He got everthing he ask for an flew home without incident
\
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421 into W24. Capt. Bud is a bad ass...
 
FastEddieB said:
As an aside...

Some owners of turbocharged or turbonormalized Cirrus' have the "TURBO" decals removed.

Why? An absentminded lineman can see "TURBO" and think "TURBINE" and that can be the first link in the chain.

I believe it has happened.
Click to expand...

That was also done on other models as well, Comanche owners with the factory labeled turbo models were doing so, and there were some others so labeled that got changed.
 
3393RP said:
Some things in aviation remain constant...
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Have you SEEN that video of his transatlantic crossing takeoff?

He clearly, positively, absolutely took an unnecessary risk trying to take off on a muddy field 1000 lb heavier than the airplane had ever been flown before. Classic mission myopia. He could have taken off the next day in much better conditions. Had he hit the trees and made a big fire, the fault would not have been the airplane's, but his alone.

Remember, he was nicknamed "Lucky Lindy." He deserved that, and it means any pronouncements he made about safety have very little credibility.
 
MAKG1 said:
Have you SEEN that video of his transatlantic crossing takeoff?

He clearly, positively, absolutely took an unnecessary risk trying to take off on a muddy field 1000 lb heavier than the airplane had ever been flown before. Classic mission myopia. He could have taken off the next day in much better conditions. Had he hit the trees and made a big fire, the fault would not have been the airplane's, but his alone.

Remember, he was nicknamed "Lucky Lindy." He deserved that, and it means any pronouncements he made about safety have very little credibility.
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lol! It's been a long, long time since I read anyone bashing Lindbergh.
 
FastEddieB said:
As an aside...

Some owners of turbocharged or turbonormalized Cirrus' have the "TURBO" decals removed.

Why? An absentminded lineman can see "TURBO" and think "TURBINE" and that can be the first link in the chain.

I believe it has happened.
Click to expand...

There's a service bulletin to remove the "Turbo" on the 'kota...I haven't bothered to do so.
 
Geico266 said:
I do not allow anyone to put fuel in my planes. I must be there to see what it is they are doing. I was at Davenport, IA a couple of years ago and they tried to fuel my RV-10 with Jet A. :mad:
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That's the real answer. I've always prefered to fuel it myself if I can or at a minimum watch them do it.

RT
 
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