bjones(at)dmv.com
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 Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:03 am Post subject: Engine stoppage-ethanol blended gas |
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Dave,
Adding blue pre-mix oil to auto gas, so that if alcohol settleout occurs,
it can be identified because the settleout will not have the same blue tint
as the gas strikes me as a logical option if I have to use an ethanol
blended auto gas. Sump testing at the gascolator, filtering fuel and using
fresh fuel are all clearly prudent.
Someone on this thread seemed to want to hear real world evidence of a
problem with ethanol blended gas before buying into the safety concerns put
out by the FAA, EAA and AOPA. Since I have had engines quit running because
of alcohol phase seperation and settleout and did not notice anyone else
respond I shared a bit of my experience.
I see using ethanol blended gas in an aircraft somewhat like I see driving
under the influence of alcohol. One may be able to do both for years
without incident. However, both do entail some level of increased risk. I am
sensitive to the risk of using ethanol blended gas because I have
experienced engine stoppage.
Having owned and operated about two dozen planes and lots of boats over 30
years I never experienced fuel related engine stoppage until ethanol blended
auto gas came into the picture. Now I have and it was obviously and clearly
due to phase seperation and settleout of the alcohol-water layer.
The following comments are pure speculation, but might be important. I can
rationalize that phase seperation could occur IN FLIGHT as our wing tank
fuel temperture decreases with prolonged exposure to the lower temperatures
at higher altitudes so that a good sump check prior to departure may not
insure against an engine out due to alcohol phase seperation at altitude.
Even if this theory makes sense it could probably only occur in rare
circumstances when the alcohol was just on the verge of seperation on the
ground. Once back on the ground and at warmer temps the equilibrium involved
in the settleout may reverse itself and not be apparent to investigators so
the cause of engine stoppage might go undocumented and unrecognized within
the flying community. If anyone has technical expertise on this please chime
in.
Having experienced engine stoppage caused by ethanol blended gas and having
read about other problems related to ethanol blended gas, I routinely use a
variation of the EAA test for ethanol in auto gas before I buy auto gas and
put it in my Kitfox IV with a 912. I also go out of my way to obtain
"straight" gas.
As an aside, I recently returned from a camping, flying, driving tour
(over12,000 miles) across the US and flew my Kitfox over some spectacular
scenery from the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas off of Key West, along the
still devastated hurricane Katrina coastline, thru many of our national
parks in the southwest including monument valley, Lake Powell, below sea
level in Death Valley and into the Grand Canyon, to California's Big Sur
coastline and the Golden Gate Bridge. What a kick in a Kitfox!
BJ
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