Narrative:

A fuel drain valve installed by FBO abc is indicated in the above aircraft log jun/xa/98. Indicated on invoice #7 dated jun/xa/98, it was installed at no charge as an inventory item. No work order exists nor did they (FBO abc) have customer approval. Work was performed in ZZZ, ca. There was no requirement to remove the old drain valve. The FBO abc representative stated that the new fuel drain valve had to be installed per an FAA airworthiness directive. When asked for the number of the airworthiness directive required, he stated that he didn't know. When he got back to me he told me it was a mooney service instruction M22-88. There is no such service instructions existing by mooney. I told him that I didn't want or need it since it was not mandatory. The major source of leakage exists around the improperly, unauthorized, illegally installed fuel drain valve. No paperwork exists with an authority/authorized for the installation. A running leak is a safety item. The fuel was running from around the drain valve and flowing into the belly -- an enclosed area. Fuel in an enclosed area is a major safety concern and an additional safety hazard. This renders the l-hand fuel tank as unusable for flight with fuel. The cause of the leakage is the O ring and the valve that was installed by FBO abc (in van nuys). The skin surface, the drilling of the hole, and the female threads for the valve are not compatible. The hole is elongated and off center with respect to the threads for the valve installation. The O ring will not seat properly. 3 O rings and a new valve were installed. In each instance the leakage still existed with about a thimble of fuel. There are burrs around the hole and the skin surface is irregular further aggravating the lack of contact for the O ring to do its job. A large patch is required to correct the problem and a certified inspection or approval by a der for the proper installation. FBO abc had neither in its facility (that no longer exists) in california. Neither the ZZZ, nor the xyz florida facilities of FBO abc have been repair stations. Drain holes for water drainage are plugged with sealant so that not all fuel contaminated by water and impurities can be sampled at the drain valve. Service bulletin M22-88 is entered in the aircraft logbook as being complied with. There is no such mooney service bulletin. The service bulletin called for in AD85-24-03 specifies the location of all drain holes through the ribs and stringers. It also specifies a 'caution' with respect to the access panel screws. The screws are not to be longer than 7/16 inch or they will puncture the acorn anchor nuts. All screws on one access panel were 1/2 inch. There are 22 acorn anchor nuts in each of 4 panels on each 26 gal tank of a mooney super 21. Worst case, all of the panels on the l-hand fuel tank need to be replaced with new panels. Not all of the panels have been removed yet. There have been signs of leakage around panel screws and rivets after FBO abc resealed the tank. This whole mess could have been prevented by FBO abc with adequate training and paperwork. The sealant of the l-hand fuel tank was applied sometime in may without activator. It was to be totally cleaned out. None of FBO abc generic paperwork or instructions call for the airworthiness directive note above which contains the maintenance manual instructions, and the service bulletin that apply. I had asked for all the paperwork that was used to do the job. There was no work order. When I asked if AD85-24-03 was complied with, I was told (by wxxz, FBO abc representative on the west coast), 'yes.' the entry was then made by him in the aircraft logbook in his own handwriting. Recommendation: since my airplane invoice was #7, I believe it mandatory that every aircraft whose tanks have been resealed by FBO abc on the west coast (and fort lauderdale, fl) be inspected at the expense of FBO abc for proper length screws, popped acorn nut plates, drainage hole openings for water drainage, and possibly any other discrepancies or damage that they may beresponsible for -- in mainly a fuel tank repair.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MOONEY 20E WAS RELEASED FOR SVC IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH IMPROPER, UNSAFE AND INCOMPETENT REPAIRS MADE TO THE L WING FUEL TANK.

Narrative: A FUEL DRAIN VALVE INSTALLED BY FBO ABC IS INDICATED IN THE ABOVE ACFT LOG JUN/XA/98. INDICATED ON INVOICE #7 DATED JUN/XA/98, IT WAS INSTALLED AT NO CHARGE AS AN INVENTORY ITEM. NO WORK ORDER EXISTS NOR DID THEY (FBO ABC) HAVE CUSTOMER APPROVAL. WORK WAS PERFORMED IN ZZZ, CA. THERE WAS NO REQUIREMENT TO REMOVE THE OLD DRAIN VALVE. THE FBO ABC REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE NEW FUEL DRAIN VALVE HAD TO BE INSTALLED PER AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. WHEN ASKED FOR THE NUMBER OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE REQUIRED, HE STATED THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW. WHEN HE GOT BACK TO ME HE TOLD ME IT WAS A MOONEY SVC INSTRUCTION M22-88. THERE IS NO SUCH SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS EXISTING BY MOONEY. I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T WANT OR NEED IT SINCE IT WAS NOT MANDATORY. THE MAJOR SOURCE OF LEAKAGE EXISTS AROUND THE IMPROPERLY, UNAUTH, ILLEGALLY INSTALLED FUEL DRAIN VALVE. NO PAPERWORK EXISTS WITH AN AUTH FOR THE INSTALLATION. A RUNNING LEAK IS A SAFETY ITEM. THE FUEL WAS RUNNING FROM AROUND THE DRAIN VALVE AND FLOWING INTO THE BELLY -- AN ENCLOSED AREA. FUEL IN AN ENCLOSED AREA IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY HAZARD. THIS RENDERS THE L-HAND FUEL TANK AS UNUSABLE FOR FLT WITH FUEL. THE CAUSE OF THE LEAKAGE IS THE O RING AND THE VALVE THAT WAS INSTALLED BY FBO ABC (IN VAN NUYS). THE SKIN SURFACE, THE DRILLING OF THE HOLE, AND THE FEMALE THREADS FOR THE VALVE ARE NOT COMPATIBLE. THE HOLE IS ELONGATED AND OFF CTR WITH RESPECT TO THE THREADS FOR THE VALVE INSTALLATION. THE O RING WILL NOT SEAT PROPERLY. 3 O RINGS AND A NEW VALVE WERE INSTALLED. IN EACH INSTANCE THE LEAKAGE STILL EXISTED WITH ABOUT A THIMBLE OF FUEL. THERE ARE BURRS AROUND THE HOLE AND THE SKIN SURFACE IS IRREGULAR FURTHER AGGRAVATING THE LACK OF CONTACT FOR THE O RING TO DO ITS JOB. A LARGE PATCH IS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THE PROB AND A CERTIFIED INSPECTION OR APPROVAL BY A DER FOR THE PROPER INSTALLATION. FBO ABC HAD NEITHER IN ITS FACILITY (THAT NO LONGER EXISTS) IN CALIFORNIA. NEITHER THE ZZZ, NOR THE XYZ FLORIDA FACILITIES OF FBO ABC HAVE BEEN REPAIR STATIONS. DRAIN HOLES FOR WATER DRAINAGE ARE PLUGGED WITH SEALANT SO THAT NOT ALL FUEL CONTAMINATED BY WATER AND IMPURITIES CAN BE SAMPLED AT THE DRAIN VALVE. SVC BULLETIN M22-88 IS ENTERED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AS BEING COMPLIED WITH. THERE IS NO SUCH MOONEY SVC BULLETIN. THE SVC BULLETIN CALLED FOR IN AD85-24-03 SPECIFIES THE LOCATION OF ALL DRAIN HOLES THROUGH THE RIBS AND STRINGERS. IT ALSO SPECIFIES A 'CAUTION' WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCESS PANEL SCREWS. THE SCREWS ARE NOT TO BE LONGER THAN 7/16 INCH OR THEY WILL PUNCTURE THE ACORN ANCHOR NUTS. ALL SCREWS ON ONE ACCESS PANEL WERE 1/2 INCH. THERE ARE 22 ACORN ANCHOR NUTS IN EACH OF 4 PANELS ON EACH 26 GAL TANK OF A MOONEY SUPER 21. WORST CASE, ALL OF THE PANELS ON THE L-HAND FUEL TANK NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW PANELS. NOT ALL OF THE PANELS HAVE BEEN REMOVED YET. THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNS OF LEAKAGE AROUND PANEL SCREWS AND RIVETS AFTER FBO ABC RESEALED THE TANK. THIS WHOLE MESS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY FBO ABC WITH ADEQUATE TRAINING AND PAPERWORK. THE SEALANT OF THE L-HAND FUEL TANK WAS APPLIED SOMETIME IN MAY WITHOUT ACTIVATOR. IT WAS TO BE TOTALLY CLEANED OUT. NONE OF FBO ABC GENERIC PAPERWORK OR INSTRUCTIONS CALL FOR THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE NOTE ABOVE WHICH CONTAINS THE MAINT MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS, AND THE SVC BULLETIN THAT APPLY. I HAD ASKED FOR ALL THE PAPERWORK THAT WAS USED TO DO THE JOB. THERE WAS NO WORK ORDER. WHEN I ASKED IF AD85-24-03 WAS COMPLIED WITH, I WAS TOLD (BY WXXZ, FBO ABC REPRESENTATIVE ON THE WEST COAST), 'YES.' THE ENTRY WAS THEN MADE BY HIM IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK IN HIS OWN HANDWRITING. RECOMMENDATION: SINCE MY AIRPLANE INVOICE WAS #7, I BELIEVE IT MANDATORY THAT EVERY ACFT WHOSE TANKS HAVE BEEN RESEALED BY FBO ABC ON THE WEST COAST (AND FORT LAUDERDALE, FL) BE INSPECTED AT THE EXPENSE OF FBO ABC FOR PROPER LENGTH SCREWS, POPPED ACORN NUT PLATES, DRAINAGE HOLE OPENINGS FOR WATER DRAINAGE, AND POSSIBLY ANY OTHER DISCREPANCIES OR DAMAGE THAT THEY MAY BERESPONSIBLE FOR -- IN MAINLY A FUEL TANK REPAIR.

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.