We have so much beach around us in Durban that there's a strong possibility one would have to do a beach landing in the event of an engine problem. This was obviously a good one on the beach in Durban yesterday and apparently the plane took off again from the beach after fuel contamination had caused engine failure.
Llewellyn and I took this as an opportunity to discuss and learn more about possible causes, prevention and remedies for fuel related problems. Here's what we came up with:
Before Take-off
1. Use the black electro-conductive approved filter when filling the tanks.
2. Physically check the fuel levels in both tanks and ensure you have enough for the proposed flight.
3. Bleed the fuel from the tank drains and check for water or other particle contamination.
4. Start and warm up the engine on one tank, then switch to the other tank for taxiing and mags check, so that you can be sure both tanks are capable of fuel delivery before you leave the ground.
During flight
5. Don't switch tanks if you are close to the ground.
6. Put the fuel pump on before switching tanks.
7. Don't run one tank near empty before switching so that if you need to switch back you will have some fuel left to get you to a landing field.
8. If you experience a fuel problem, switch to the other tank and if necessary re-start the engine.
I'm not suggesting any of the above were the cause of the problem with FMJ, we just thought we would think more carefully about it as a real potential problem every time we fly.
