Narrative:

On the final stages of our climb out; we experienced engine roughness; with minor power surges. I; the safety pilot; was in the process of filing an IFR flight plan from overhead ZZZ VOR to ZZZ2. As I was on the radio to FSS; the left engine failed abruptly. The propeller feathered itself before we could take action. We continued with the troubleshoot procedures; and attempted twice to air start the left engine. Restart attempts were unsuccessful; however; so we elected to secure the inoperative engine and land as quickly as practicable. The nearest airport was ZZZ. At night; ZZZ is uncontrolled. Before landing; we called the center frequency to let them know of our problem; and to inquire as to whether there were any inbound flts. We did not declare an emergency. We landed on runway 22; the landing was successful. Upon a mechanic's inspection the following day; it was determined that there was an uncertain amount of jet-a fuel in each of our fuel tanks. We had stopped at nearby ZZZ3 for fuel 10 mins prior to the engine failure. We had called the airport the previous afternoon to inquire about after hours fueling; and about availability of 100LL fuel. We were told that the pump would be locked; but that the keys would be left on top of the first aid box in the main building. Upon arriving; we located the keys and a fuel pump by the building. There were no markings on the tank; which we have learned was recently painted white. The keys were found; unlocked the pump; which we then used to refuel our aircraft. The jet-a tank has recently been repainted white; and the jet-a markings on it have probably been painted over by mistake. The 100LL pumps are on the other side of the ramp. Although lit; at night they are not visible because the city has neglected to maintain the lights; which are at the moment inoperative. We took on a total of 50 gallons of jet-a; and had 60 gallons of 100LL remaining in the tanks. Throughout the emergency; the right side engine developed full power and did not exhibit any sign of stress or fatigue. During the inspections performed the following day; the inoperative engine was partially disassembled and the propeller was removed. It was determined that the magneto timing had been incorrectly performed at the 100 hour inspection; which had been concluded the previous day. The spark plugs showed evidence of significant fouling. Upon disassembling the propeller; a significant amount of deposit was found in the propeller hub and around the propeller shaft; where the oil plumbing to the propeller hub is to be found. We were told by the mechanics that; although these deposits are a normal product of the engine; they should be cleared at every 100 hour inspection. We were told by the mechanics that such a deposit was evidence that the operation had not been performed during the previous 100 hour inspection. Supplemental information from acn 654588: the previous day I called the airport manager and asked if 100LL fuel was available 24 hours. He said yes; and gave me the directions to find the key which unlocks the self-serve. Apparently it was on the honor system and after fill-up; the customer leaves quantity and address for billing. After we landed at ZZZ late at night we taxied toward the airport main building to find the pumps. There were no lights except for the main building; but we saw the self-serve with our landing light. We got the key; unlocked the pump; and filled up 25 gallons a side (total capacity in 2 tanks is 110 gallons);locked the pumps; returned the keys; preflted; sumped fuel; and departed. We found out from the airport manager the following day that the lights which illuminated the 100LL self-serve burnt out and had not been replaced and that someone took it upon themselves to repaint the rusty jet-a self-serve. Lack of visible markings on the jet-a self-serve; illumination of the 100LL caused us to refuel with the wrong type of fuel. Pilot error also contributed as I/we did not notice the smell of the fuel while fueling or testing; possibly due to fatigue from a long day of flying and eagerness to continue to the next stop. The jet-a nozzle was actually identical to the 100LL nozzle and also contributed to the confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA44-180 IN CLB AT 4000 FT INCURRED A L ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION. ACFT WAS FUELED WITH JET-A.

Narrative: ON THE FINAL STAGES OF OUR CLBOUT; WE EXPERIENCED ENG ROUGHNESS; WITH MINOR PWR SURGES. I; THE SAFETY PLT; WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FILING AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM OVERHEAD ZZZ VOR TO ZZZ2. AS I WAS ON THE RADIO TO FSS; THE L ENG FAILED ABRUPTLY. THE PROP FEATHERED ITSELF BEFORE WE COULD TAKE ACTION. WE CONTINUED WITH THE TROUBLESHOOT PROCS; AND ATTEMPTED TWICE TO AIR START THE L ENG. RESTART ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL; HOWEVER; SO WE ELECTED TO SECURE THE INOP ENG AND LAND AS QUICKLY AS PRACTICABLE. THE NEAREST ARPT WAS ZZZ. AT NIGHT; ZZZ IS UNCTLED. BEFORE LNDG; WE CALLED THE CTR FREQ TO LET THEM KNOW OF OUR PROB; AND TO INQUIRE AS TO WHETHER THERE WERE ANY INBOUND FLTS. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. WE LANDED ON RWY 22; THE LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL. UPON A MECH'S INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING DAY; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS AN UNCERTAIN AMOUNT OF JET-A FUEL IN EACH OF OUR FUEL TANKS. WE HAD STOPPED AT NEARBY ZZZ3 FOR FUEL 10 MINS PRIOR TO THE ENG FAILURE. WE HAD CALLED THE ARPT THE PREVIOUS AFTERNOON TO INQUIRE ABOUT AFTER HRS FUELING; AND ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF 100LL FUEL. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PUMP WOULD BE LOCKED; BUT THAT THE KEYS WOULD BE LEFT ON TOP OF THE FIRST AID BOX IN THE MAIN BUILDING. UPON ARRIVING; WE LOCATED THE KEYS AND A FUEL PUMP BY THE BUILDING. THERE WERE NO MARKINGS ON THE TANK; WHICH WE HAVE LEARNED WAS RECENTLY PAINTED WHITE. THE KEYS WERE FOUND; UNLOCKED THE PUMP; WHICH WE THEN USED TO REFUEL OUR ACFT. THE JET-A TANK HAS RECENTLY BEEN REPAINTED WHITE; AND THE JET-A MARKINGS ON IT HAVE PROBABLY BEEN PAINTED OVER BY MISTAKE. THE 100LL PUMPS ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAMP. ALTHOUGH LIT; AT NIGHT THEY ARE NOT VISIBLE BECAUSE THE CITY HAS NEGLECTED TO MAINTAIN THE LIGHTS; WHICH ARE AT THE MOMENT INOP. WE TOOK ON A TOTAL OF 50 GALLONS OF JET-A; AND HAD 60 GALLONS OF 100LL REMAINING IN THE TANKS. THROUGHOUT THE EMER; THE R SIDE ENG DEVELOPED FULL PWR AND DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY SIGN OF STRESS OR FATIGUE. DURING THE INSPECTIONS PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING DAY; THE INOP ENG WAS PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED AND THE PROP WAS REMOVED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MAGNETO TIMING HAD BEEN INCORRECTLY PERFORMED AT THE 100 HR INSPECTION; WHICH HAD BEEN CONCLUDED THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE SPARK PLUGS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT FOULING. UPON DISASSEMBLING THE PROP; A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEPOSIT WAS FOUND IN THE PROP HUB AND AROUND THE PROP SHAFT; WHERE THE OIL PLUMBING TO THE PROP HUB IS TO BE FOUND. WE WERE TOLD BY THE MECHS THAT; ALTHOUGH THESE DEPOSITS ARE A NORMAL PRODUCT OF THE ENG; THEY SHOULD BE CLRED AT EVERY 100 HR INSPECTION. WE WERE TOLD BY THE MECHS THAT SUCH A DEPOSIT WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE OP HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED DURING THE PREVIOUS 100 HR INSPECTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 654588: THE PREVIOUS DAY I CALLED THE ARPT MGR AND ASKED IF 100LL FUEL WAS AVAILABLE 24 HRS. HE SAID YES; AND GAVE ME THE DIRECTIONS TO FIND THE KEY WHICH UNLOCKS THE SELF-SERVE. APPARENTLY IT WAS ON THE HONOR SYS AND AFTER FILL-UP; THE CUSTOMER LEAVES QUANTITY AND ADDRESS FOR BILLING. AFTER WE LANDED AT ZZZ LATE AT NIGHT WE TAXIED TOWARD THE ARPT MAIN BUILDING TO FIND THE PUMPS. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS EXCEPT FOR THE MAIN BUILDING; BUT WE SAW THE SELF-SERVE WITH OUR LNDG LIGHT. WE GOT THE KEY; UNLOCKED THE PUMP; AND FILLED UP 25 GALLONS A SIDE (TOTAL CAPACITY IN 2 TANKS IS 110 GALLONS);LOCKED THE PUMPS; RETURNED THE KEYS; PREFLTED; SUMPED FUEL; AND DEPARTED. WE FOUND OUT FROM THE ARPT MGR THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT THE LIGHTS WHICH ILLUMINATED THE 100LL SELF-SERVE BURNT OUT AND HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED AND THAT SOMEONE TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO REPAINT THE RUSTY JET-A SELF-SERVE. LACK OF VISIBLE MARKINGS ON THE JET-A SELF-SERVE; ILLUMINATION OF THE 100LL CAUSED US TO REFUEL WITH THE WRONG TYPE OF FUEL. PLT ERROR ALSO CONTRIBUTED AS I/WE DID NOT NOTICE THE SMELL OF THE FUEL WHILE FUELING OR TESTING; POSSIBLY DUE TO FATIGUE FROM A LONG DAY OF FLYING AND EAGERNESS TO CONTINUE TO THE NEXT STOP. THE JET-A NOZZLE WAS ACTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THE 100LL NOZZLE AND ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.