Narrative:

I flew a piston small transport from tulsa international airport to paragould municipal (pgr), az. I had taxied the airplane to the refueling area. As I exited the airplane, I asked him to 'top off the tanks, both the tips and auxiliary's.' I then went into the building with the customer to wait for the refueling process so I could pay and leave. After refueling the airplane, the attendant came into the building, wrote out the ticket. I checked the total and signed it. I returned to the airport that night at XL00, preflted the aircraft, took off and was approximately 50 mins into the flight when I switched the tanks to the auxiliary tanks. Within 10 seconds of switching the tanks, the engines began to lose power. Manifold pressure began to drop. I immediately switched back to the tips and watched the temperature gauges. The left engine, which runs at approximately 370 degrees, went to 410 degrees and the right engine, which runs at about 340 degrees, went to approximately 380 degrees. I immediately decided that I would land at drake field (they have an operating tower). The engine temperatures (cylinder head) returned to normal within 2 mins. Because of this, I did not declare an emergency and landed uneventfully. Together the ground attendant and I began to sump the fuel tanks. After a pint of sump we were able to 'determine' that the auxiliary tanks were full of jet-a and the tips were 100LL. I called back to the owner and explained that somehow the attendant at paragould had filled the auxiliary's with jet-a, but the tips were full of 100LL. I explained the flight and determined to top the tips with 100LL giving a 2 1/2 hour flight time for a 20 min ferry flight back to tul with the auxiliary tanks isolated. After a 15 min run-up at the end of the runway, I completed an uneventful ferry flight to tulsa IAP. Lessons learned: the attendant at paragould was very new (less than 2 weeks). His training was obviously lacking as it is apparent he knew he was putting jet-a into a piston small transport. The refueling nozzle at paragould did not have the required jet-a nozzle and, as a result, the attendant was able to get fuel into the small transport, even though the small transport was marked 100LL only and had the restrictors on the refueling openings. I missed that he had indeed written jet-a on the refueling ticket because nothing was apparently wrong with the total. The dollar/gallon is the same at paragould for jet-a and 100LL. I checked the total dollars and it appeared normal. It never occurred to me to check the fuel type.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT PLT GOT A PARTIAL LOAD OF JET FUEL IN HIS PISTON ENG ACFT.

Narrative: I FLEW A PISTON SMT FROM TULSA INTL ARPT TO PARAGOULD MUNICIPAL (PGR), AZ. I HAD TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE REFUELING AREA. AS I EXITED THE AIRPLANE, I ASKED HIM TO 'TOP OFF THE TANKS, BOTH THE TIPS AND AUX'S.' I THEN WENT INTO THE BUILDING WITH THE CUSTOMER TO WAIT FOR THE REFUELING PROCESS SO I COULD PAY AND LEAVE. AFTER REFUELING THE AIRPLANE, THE ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE BUILDING, WROTE OUT THE TICKET. I CHKED THE TOTAL AND SIGNED IT. I RETURNED TO THE ARPT THAT NIGHT AT XL00, PREFLTED THE ACFT, TOOK OFF AND WAS APPROX 50 MINS INTO THE FLT WHEN I SWITCHED THE TANKS TO THE AUX TANKS. WITHIN 10 SECONDS OF SWITCHING THE TANKS, THE ENGS BEGAN TO LOSE PWR. MANIFOLD PRESSURE BEGAN TO DROP. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK TO THE TIPS AND WATCHED THE TEMP GAUGES. THE L ENG, WHICH RUNS AT APPROX 370 DEGS, WENT TO 410 DEGS AND THE R ENG, WHICH RUNS AT ABOUT 340 DEGS, WENT TO APPROX 380 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY DECIDED THAT I WOULD LAND AT DRAKE FIELD (THEY HAVE AN OPERATING TWR). THE ENG TEMPS (CYLINDER HEAD) RETURNED TO NORMAL WITHIN 2 MINS. BECAUSE OF THIS, I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. TOGETHER THE GND ATTENDANT AND I BEGAN TO SUMP THE FUEL TANKS. AFTER A PINT OF SUMP WE WERE ABLE TO 'DETERMINE' THAT THE AUX TANKS WERE FULL OF JET-A AND THE TIPS WERE 100LL. I CALLED BACK TO THE OWNER AND EXPLAINED THAT SOMEHOW THE ATTENDANT AT PARAGOULD HAD FILLED THE AUX'S WITH JET-A, BUT THE TIPS WERE FULL OF 100LL. I EXPLAINED THE FLT AND DETERMINED TO TOP THE TIPS WITH 100LL GIVING A 2 1/2 HR FLT TIME FOR A 20 MIN FERRY FLT BACK TO TUL WITH THE AUX TANKS ISOLATED. AFTER A 15 MIN RUN-UP AT THE END OF THE RWY, I COMPLETED AN UNEVENTFUL FERRY FLT TO TULSA IAP. LESSONS LEARNED: THE ATTENDANT AT PARAGOULD WAS VERY NEW (LESS THAN 2 WKS). HIS TRAINING WAS OBVIOUSLY LACKING AS IT IS APPARENT HE KNEW HE WAS PUTTING JET-A INTO A PISTON SMT. THE REFUELING NOZZLE AT PARAGOULD DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED JET-A NOZZLE AND, AS A RESULT, THE ATTENDANT WAS ABLE TO GET FUEL INTO THE SMT, EVEN THOUGH THE SMT WAS MARKED 100LL ONLY AND HAD THE RESTRICTORS ON THE REFUELING OPENINGS. I MISSED THAT HE HAD INDEED WRITTEN JET-A ON THE REFUELING TICKET BECAUSE NOTHING WAS APPARENTLY WRONG WITH THE TOTAL. THE DOLLAR/GALLON IS THE SAME AT PARAGOULD FOR JET-A AND 100LL. I CHKED THE TOTAL DOLLARS AND IT APPEARED NORMAL. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO CHK THE FUEL TYPE.

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.