Narrative:

On mar/tue/97, I experienced a fuel incident in which a lesson was learned. To get some class C experience under my belt, I intended to fly from orf to emv. The night before the flight, a mechanic refueled the C150 aircraft with jet fuel. While performing the preflight checklist, the color of the fuel was light blue, the color in which as a student pilot, I was taught to look for. Because the preflight seemed to check out ok, I continued with my intended plans. While en route to emv, I experienced no problems with the engine's performance. With a 2 hour layover in emv, the manager from an FBO located on orf airport, called to emv to secure the aircraft because the refueling the night before had gotten mixed up. The manager, along with maintenance personnel, arrived to cmv and tested the fuel. Still hard to distinguish whether the fuel was mixed, evidence came about when the smell of kerosene was noticed as we continued to drain the aircraft. The aircraft was drained until empty and filled with 100LL, the appropriate fuel for the aircraft. The flight back to orf was with no problems, but with a lesson learned. Lesson learned: when examining fuel, do not only look at the color because it can be deceiving. Use other methods which include smelling its odor and feeling its texture. This will ensure that you have the appropriate fuel for your aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT FLIES ACFT TO EMV FROM ORF WITH A MIXED FUEL, PART 100LL AND PART JET FUEL. A MECH FROM THE FBO HAD GOTTEN THE REFUELING TICKETS MIXED UP AND FILLED THE REMAINDER OF THE TANKS WITH JP FUEL THE NIGHT BEFORE. PVT PLT MISSED THIS ON HIS PREFLT NEXT DAY. FUEL MIX CORRECTED IN EMV.

Narrative: ON MAR/TUE/97, I EXPERIENCED A FUEL INCIDENT IN WHICH A LESSON WAS LEARNED. TO GET SOME CLASS C EXPERIENCE UNDER MY BELT, I INTENDED TO FLY FROM ORF TO EMV. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FLT, A MECH REFUELED THE C150 ACFT WITH JET FUEL. WHILE PERFORMING THE PREFLT CHKLIST, THE COLOR OF THE FUEL WAS LIGHT BLUE, THE COLOR IN WHICH AS A STUDENT PLT, I WAS TAUGHT TO LOOK FOR. BECAUSE THE PREFLT SEEMED TO CHK OUT OK, I CONTINUED WITH MY INTENDED PLANS. WHILE ENRTE TO EMV, I EXPERIENCED NO PROBS WITH THE ENG'S PERFORMANCE. WITH A 2 HR LAYOVER IN EMV, THE MGR FROM AN FBO LOCATED ON ORF ARPT, CALLED TO EMV TO SECURE THE ACFT BECAUSE THE REFUELING THE NIGHT BEFORE HAD GOTTEN MIXED UP. THE MGR, ALONG WITH MAINT PERSONNEL, ARRIVED TO CMV AND TESTED THE FUEL. STILL HARD TO DISTINGUISH WHETHER THE FUEL WAS MIXED, EVIDENCE CAME ABOUT WHEN THE SMELL OF KEROSENE WAS NOTICED AS WE CONTINUED TO DRAIN THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS DRAINED UNTIL EMPTY AND FILLED WITH 100LL, THE APPROPRIATE FUEL FOR THE ACFT. THE FLT BACK TO ORF WAS WITH NO PROBS, BUT WITH A LESSON LEARNED. LESSON LEARNED: WHEN EXAMINING FUEL, DO NOT ONLY LOOK AT THE COLOR BECAUSE IT CAN BE DECEIVING. USE OTHER METHODS WHICH INCLUDE SMELLING ITS ODOR AND FEELING ITS TEXTURE. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE THE APPROPRIATE FUEL FOR YOUR ACFT.

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.