FUEL_CONTAMINATION

FUEL CONTAMINATION

A review of accidents caused by fuel problems reveals that many power failures were due to use of improper fuel or careless servicing – fuelling aircraft from poorly filtered tanks.

Fuel can be contaminated with water, rust, sand, dust, micro-organisms and certain additives that are not compatible with the fuel, fuel systems materials and engines. The presence of any contamination in aircraft fuel system is dangerous. During freezing temperatures, water may turn to ice, stopping fuel flow; freezing at high altitudes may plug fuel screens. Moreover, the fuel may be contaminated with dust and sand through openings in tanks and from the use of fuel handling equipment that is not clean. What is more, certain oil companies, in developing products to cope with aircraft fuel icing problems use some substances known as additives. Some additives may be harmful to other parts of the engine with which they come in contact. Fuel contamination is considered to be one of the most serious problems nowadays that might lead to engine vibration. In such a case a pilot has to shut down the engine, otherwise it can cause the engine destruction.

What is fuel contamination?

What can fuel be contaminated with?

Why is fuel contamination dangerous?

REVISION TASKS

Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the words derived from the words in bold.

1. During _____________temperatures, water may turn to ice, stopping fuel flow.

FREEZE

2. Fatigue occurs when a metal, plastic or composite component is subject to ________________or cyclic stress.

SWING

3. Stalling an aircraft is a danger, but is normally __________________.

RECOVER

4. The aircraft became _____________, frequently due to loss of hydraulic systems.

ABLE

5. Pilot would ______________ require the emergency equipment to stand by at the end of the RW.

PROBABLE

6. Sometimes undercarriage does not retract or move down _______________.

PROPER

7. Storing aircraft with partially filled tanks also leads to fuel ________________.

CONTAMINATE

8. The ______________ items flying around the cabin can damage the flight crew and the passengers.

SECURE

9. Air traffic controllers’ and pilots’ errors, improper loading of aircraft, language _________________ are the most common reasons for aviation events.

COMMUNICATE

10. The service life of expensive avionics and instruments might be ________________considerably due to improper maintenance.

SHORT

Rearrange the words to make sentences, beginning with the word in bold.

1. without / will / hypoxia / of / consciousness / result in / emergency oxygen / loss.

2. results in / decompression / dangerous / and / damage / explosive / lung / is / often / potentially /.

3. but / of / aircraft/ rapid / extremely / decompression / is / dangerous/ commercial / rare, /.

4. be / sitting / a very / hole/ people / by / may / injured / next to / forced /out / or / flying / large / debris.

5. it / not / decompression / is / slow /because / may / gradual / dangerous / be/ or / detected /.

6. might / engine / is / to be / of / the / most / contamination / serious /considered / nowadays / problems / that / lead / fuel / one / to / vibration.

Match the beginnings with the endings to make sentences.

1. In three or four engined aircraft the loss of one,	a) as a result of brake overheating.
2. Engine failures are caused by several reasons;	b) the situation is immediately life threatening.
3. When the crew reports about both engines experiencing problems	c) in uncontrollable speed and direction.
4. When things are broken by metal fatigue,	d) might cause the wing separation from the aircraft as it happened in several aviation events.
5. If a single engined aircraft loses an engine	e) the most common ones are: engine vibration, metal fatigue, engine stall, fuel contamination, bird strike and structural failures.
6. Fuel is contaminated with	f) to move and control the main aircraft components.
7. Soon after takeoff, a structural failure happening to an aircraft	g) the fracture surface will have certain visible characteristics.
8. An aircraft's loss of control surfaces, such as elevator, rudder, ailerons may result	h) it means that the aircraft might become uncontrollable.
9. Hydraulic systems provide necessary power	i) water, rust, sand, dust or micro-organisms that can lead to unpredictable consequences.
10. An aircraft may run off the runway	j) is hardly ever a life threatening situation.