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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A beech A100 in cruise at 14000 ft diverted due to heavy fuel leak from top rear of the left engine nacelle, caused by a failed tank access plate seal.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 577627 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200303 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 14000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | King Air 100 A/B |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 425 |
| ASRS Report | 577627 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : person 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
About 10 mins after level off in cruise a passenger came forward inquiring of a vapor trail from the top near of the left engine nacelle. Upon investigation, we the two pilot crew found the abnormality to be a fuel leak and proceeded to change our destination to our nearest suitable airport. An uneventful descent and landing occurred and we deplaned at the FBO releasing the aircraft to their maintenance facility for further inspection. The charter was cancelled due to time restraints and we now believe the problem was a common king air problem with a leaking nacelle tank gasket. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this failed tank plate seal is a chronic problem and needs a positive fix. The reporter said the seal or gasket is very thin and is compressed under the tank plate and has a very short service life. The reporter stated when reviewing the king air logbooks and noting the number of tank plate seals being replaced its apparent a part problem exists.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BEECH A100 IN CRUISE AT 14000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO HEAVY FUEL LEAK FROM TOP REAR OF THE L ENG NACELLE, CAUSED BY A FAILED TANK ACCESS PLATE SEAL.
Narrative: ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER LEVEL OFF IN CRUISE A PAX CAME FORWARD INQUIRING OF A VAPOR TRAIL FROM THE TOP NEAR OF THE LEFT ENG NACELLE. UPON INVESTIGATION, WE THE TWO PLT CREW FOUND THE ABNORMALITY TO BE A FUEL LEAK AND PROCEEDED TO CHANGE OUR DESTINATION TO OUR NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. AN UNEVENTFUL DSCNT AND LNDG OCCURRED AND WE DEPLANED AT THE FBO RELEASING THE ACFT TO THEIR MAINT FACILITY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE CHARTER WAS CANCELLED DUE TO TIME RESTRAINTS AND WE NOW BELIEVE THE PROB WAS A COMMON KING AIR PROB WITH A LEAKING NACELLE TANK GASKET. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS FAILED TANK PLATE SEAL IS A CHRONIC PROB AND NEEDS A POSITIVE FIX. THE RPTR SAID THE SEAL OR GASKET IS VERY THIN AND IS COMPRESSED UNDER THE TANK PLATE AND HAS A VERY SHORT SVC LIFE. THE RPTR STATED WHEN REVIEWING THE KING AIR LOGBOOKS AND NOTING THE NUMBER OF TANK PLATE SEALS BEING REPLACED ITS APPARENT A PART PROB EXISTS.
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.