Narrative:

Departed our base airport on an IFR flight plan for an airport 120 mi away. On board were 4 passenger, the chief pilot and myself. Upon landing at our destination airport, a line boy parked us and I unloaded the passenger and secured the airplane. The line boy then approached me and asked about services. I decided to take 80 gals of 100LL and inquired about the fuel prices. At that time, the chief pilot, the line boy and I walked into the terminal. We discussed with the line boy that this airplane has only 1 filler point and again reminded him 80 gals of 100LL and was satisfied that he understood our directions and could carry them out. At this pint, the chief pilot and I left the airport area. Upon our return, we were informed that the airplane had been refueled in our absence. I then went out to the aircraft to preflight. Drained fuel from both engine sumps and it checked out 100LL. I then drained fuel from the tanks, but due to the location of the drain port from the drain valve, I was unable to capture any fuel. At this time I was satisfied with the preflight. Shortly after this time, the passenger showed up and the airplane was loaded. The chief pilot then started the right engine. When I was settled in the left seat, we proceeded to start the left engine, but it would not start. Meanwhile, the right engine was inadvertently shot down and was unable to start up again. After 2 hours of trying to figure out why, we discovered by a puddle of fuel under 1 engine that we were refueled with jet a. The next day we drained all fuel and cleaned out the entire system, did many checks and was satisfied at this point that things were as they should be. Causes: the line boy totally ignored placards by the fuel filler cap that stated '100LL only;' when fuel was drained from engines on preflight, av gas was still in the lines which indicated 100LL when sampled; and improper training of line crew and failure to follow pilot's/crew's instructions. Solutions: take many samples from sumps to ensure proper grade of fuel. 1 or 2 samples was apparently not enough in this case. Better training of line crews for identify between turbine and reciprocating engines. Watch line crews more closely--don't always assume that they know what they are doing, particularly at smaller airports. Putting restrictors on jet nozzles and at tank filler points will help prevent misfueling. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that he had no new information on how the problem with fueling transpired. The line boy left before the nature of the problem was discovered, so it was not possible to pick his brain. Reporter said that FBO helped them drain and clean the tanks gratis the next day, but they are currently negotiating some compensation for the lost charter flight and motel expenses of the pilots. Reporter has also worked as a line by and he was taught that, if you could turn a propeller with your pinky, then the aircraft was probably a turbine, but he also said that, when in doubt, he was always taught to ask. Reporter said he was told that line boy had been employed for about 2 yrs, so his was not an error of inexperience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT AIR TAXI ACFT HAS FBO REFUEL IN HIS ABSENCE, ONLY TO LEARN THAT JET A WAS PUMPED IN INSTEAD OF 100LL. ENGINES WOULD NOT START.

Narrative: DEPARTED OUR BASE ARPT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR AN ARPT 120 MI AWAY. ON BOARD WERE 4 PAX, THE CHIEF PLT AND MYSELF. UPON LNDG AT OUR DEST ARPT, A LINE BOY PARKED US AND I UNLOADED THE PAX AND SECURED THE AIRPLANE. THE LINE BOY THEN APCHED ME AND ASKED ABOUT SVCS. I DECIDED TO TAKE 80 GALS OF 100LL AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE FUEL PRICES. AT THAT TIME, THE CHIEF PLT, THE LINE BOY AND I WALKED INTO THE TERMINAL. WE DISCUSSED WITH THE LINE BOY THAT THIS AIRPLANE HAS ONLY 1 FILLER POINT AND AGAIN REMINDED HIM 80 GALS OF 100LL AND WAS SATISFIED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD OUR DIRECTIONS AND COULD CARRY THEM OUT. AT THIS PINT, THE CHIEF PLT AND I LEFT THE ARPT AREA. UPON OUR RETURN, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN REFUELED IN OUR ABSENCE. I THEN WENT OUT TO THE ACFT TO PREFLT. DRAINED FUEL FROM BOTH ENG SUMPS AND IT CHKED OUT 100LL. I THEN DRAINED FUEL FROM THE TANKS, BUT DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE DRAIN PORT FROM THE DRAIN VALVE, I WAS UNABLE TO CAPTURE ANY FUEL. AT THIS TIME I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE PREFLT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS TIME, THE PAX SHOWED UP AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LOADED. THE CHIEF PLT THEN STARTED THE RIGHT ENG. WHEN I WAS SETTLED IN THE LEFT SEAT, WE PROCEEDED TO START THE LEFT ENG, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. MEANWHILE, THE RIGHT ENG WAS INADVERTENTLY SHOT DOWN AND WAS UNABLE TO START UP AGAIN. AFTER 2 HRS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY, WE DISCOVERED BY A PUDDLE OF FUEL UNDER 1 ENG THAT WE WERE REFUELED WITH JET A. THE NEXT DAY WE DRAINED ALL FUEL AND CLEANED OUT THE ENTIRE SYS, DID MANY CHKS AND WAS SATISFIED AT THIS POINT THAT THINGS WERE AS THEY SHOULD BE. CAUSES: THE LINE BOY TOTALLY IGNORED PLACARDS BY THE FUEL FILLER CAP THAT STATED '100LL ONLY;' WHEN FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM ENGS ON PREFLT, AV GAS WAS STILL IN THE LINES WHICH INDICATED 100LL WHEN SAMPLED; AND IMPROPER TRNING OF LINE CREW AND FAILURE TO FOLLOW PLT'S/CREW'S INSTRUCTIONS. SOLUTIONS: TAKE MANY SAMPLES FROM SUMPS TO ENSURE PROPER GRADE OF FUEL. 1 OR 2 SAMPLES WAS APPARENTLY NOT ENOUGH IN THIS CASE. BETTER TRNING OF LINE CREWS FOR IDENT BTWN TURBINE AND RECIPROCATING ENGS. WATCH LINE CREWS MORE CLOSELY--DON'T ALWAYS ASSUME THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING, PARTICULARLY AT SMALLER ARPTS. PUTTING RESTRICTORS ON JET NOZZLES AND AT TANK FILLER POINTS WILL HELP PREVENT MISFUELING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAD NO NEW INFO ON HOW THE PROB WITH FUELING TRANSPIRED. THE LINE BOY LEFT BEFORE THE NATURE OF THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED, SO IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO PICK HIS BRAIN. RPTR SAID THAT FBO HELPED THEM DRAIN AND CLEAN THE TANKS GRATIS THE NEXT DAY, BUT THEY ARE CURRENTLY NEGOTIATING SOME COMPENSATION FOR THE LOST CHARTER FLT AND MOTEL EXPENSES OF THE PLTS. RPTR HAS ALSO WORKED AS A LINE BY AND HE WAS TAUGHT THAT, IF YOU COULD TURN A PROP WITH YOUR PINKY, THEN THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY A TURBINE, BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT, WHEN IN DOUBT, HE WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT TO ASK. RPTR SAID HE WAS TOLD THAT LINE BOY HAD BEEN EMPLOYED FOR ABOUT 2 YRS, SO HIS WAS NOT AN ERROR OF INEXPERIENCE.

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.