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Do people put different amounts of fuel in the two wing tanks?

10 Posts

This Piper fuel placard AD suggests that some people are doing something which would make having the swapped fuel selector placards a hazard.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

You may not start with different fuel in each wing but it’s easy to end up like that after a period of flight.

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

Yes,I frequently fly (or rather, take off) with different amount of fuel in the tanks.

Main reasons:

- There was enough fuel in the tanks after the previous flight, but unevenly distributed.
- Quicker to just fill one tank if only a small amount of additional fuel is needed.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

Peter wrote:

This Piper fuel placard AD suggests that some people are doing something which would make having the swapped fuel selector placards a hazard.

I think you are applying to much logic
Swopping placards on the fuel selector just introduces confusion regarding which tank to use, when the reading gets lower, and that would generally be a hazard. That is the way I read the AD.

Last Edited by huv at 09 Mar 15:27
huv
EKRK, Denmark

Peter, I think a further hazard is also introduced if you have the Mogas STC installed because, according to the conditions imposed by my old club, you have to land with the fuel coming from the left hand tank. Don’t ask me why, I asked once and they told me but the reason escapes me now….

EDL*, Germany

Does anyone know what the sentence

the left and right fuel tank selector placards improperly located.”

actually means? Are the tanks reversed on the placard?

Flying out of balance on gravity fed systems, or uneven fuel feed from the tanks can lead to different levels in the tanks.

Also I sometimes chose to refuel only one wing, not to waste time before the next flight. The aircraft I flew had a max differential of 100 litres between the tanks, so you needed to account for that and make sure that limit wasn’t exceeded.

Does anyone know what the sentence

the left and right fuel tank selector placards improperly located.”

actually means? Are the tanks reversed on the placard?

Could be, or it might be that the placards are not in the correct place e.g. when the select lever is in the ‘left’ position it is pointing towards a placard that says ‘off’ ?

EGGD Bristol, United Kingdom

I might start with different amounts if I did not need to refuel for a short hop, but will certainly strive to equalize in the air.
If I have to refuel I equalize (+ a few liter for my take-off tank).

172driver wrote:

actually means? Are the tanks reversed on the placard?
Yes.

ESMK, Sweden

Some updated information (clarification?) https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-04-05/pdf/2018-06336.pdf.
It seems PPL holders are deemed qualified to assess whether the fuel selectors point the right way.

huv
EKRK, Denmark
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