Narrative:

When refueling in tpa it is believed the fuel cap was not properly secured. After starting aircraft, I took a quick look and it appeared the fuel cap was on. The fuel cap came off undetected during the taxi (it was found on a taxiway). This aircraft has a safety valve to prevent fuel loss if fuel cap is missing. The flight went to mth and before leaving to fll a walkaround preflight was completed but the wing is too high to see the fuel cap or reach over to feel. This flight now left for fll. In fll, while refueling, we discovered the fuel cap missing. We took a 2 hour delay to get a new fuel cap. After studying this situation, we feel that due to the fuel cap not being secure but looking in its proper place, it was pushed off during the taxi due to the topped off fuel pushing it up when turning the aircraft during the taxi. This idea is supported due to the fuel cap being found on the taxiway and not on the ramp. Further observations show that seeing if the fuel cap is on from the flight deck is very hard and sometimes with a glare from the sun impossible. About half of our aircraft have fuel caps that are painted white and they are harder to see if they are on properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900D COMMUTER LOST ITS FUEL CAP WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT TPA. THE CAP WAS DISCOVERED MISSING AFTER LNDG AT FLL. RPTR STATED THE FUEL CAP APPEARED TO BE ON AFTER STARTING THE ACFT. CAP WAS FOUND ON A TXWY AT TPA.

Narrative: WHEN REFUELING IN TPA IT IS BELIEVED THE FUEL CAP WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. AFTER STARTING ACFT, I TOOK A QUICK LOOK AND IT APPEARED THE FUEL CAP WAS ON. THE FUEL CAP CAME OFF UNDETECTED DURING THE TAXI (IT WAS FOUND ON A TXWY). THIS ACFT HAS A SAFETY VALVE TO PREVENT FUEL LOSS IF FUEL CAP IS MISSING. THE FLT WENT TO MTH AND BEFORE LEAVING TO FLL A WALKAROUND PREFLT WAS COMPLETED BUT THE WING IS TOO HIGH TO SEE THE FUEL CAP OR REACH OVER TO FEEL. THIS FLT NOW LEFT FOR FLL. IN FLL, WHILE REFUELING, WE DISCOVERED THE FUEL CAP MISSING. WE TOOK A 2 HR DELAY TO GET A NEW FUEL CAP. AFTER STUDYING THIS SIT, WE FEEL THAT DUE TO THE FUEL CAP NOT BEING SECURE BUT LOOKING IN ITS PROPER PLACE, IT WAS PUSHED OFF DURING THE TAXI DUE TO THE TOPPED OFF FUEL PUSHING IT UP WHEN TURNING THE ACFT DURING THE TAXI. THIS IDEA IS SUPPORTED DUE TO THE FUEL CAP BEING FOUND ON THE TXWY AND NOT ON THE RAMP. FURTHER OBSERVATIONS SHOW THAT SEEING IF THE FUEL CAP IS ON FROM THE FLT DECK IS VERY HARD AND SOMETIMES WITH A GLARE FROM THE SUN IMPOSSIBLE. ABOUT HALF OF OUR ACFT HAVE FUEL CAPS THAT ARE PAINTED WHITE AND THEY ARE HARDER TO SEE IF THEY ARE ON PROPERLY.

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.