Navarra - Post Crash Flashcards
Did you ever talk with Mr. Koller after the crash?
Mr. Koller called me a few days after the crash.
What did you talk about?
It wasn’t so much of us talking more of Mr. Koller talking at me, he was very upset.He made it sound like this was all my fault, and that it was engine failure that brought the plane down. He kept asking if I had missed something in my inspection, which of course I did not.
Were there any signs of engine failure during your inspections?
No. I specifically checked the engine for any cracks or deformations. There were none. The only other sources of failure would be something to do with the fuel. Either contamination in the fuel or the incorrect type of fuel could lead to engine failure.
How do you make sure you use the correct fuel?
We have several systems to ensure we use the correct fuel. One way to check is to smell the fuel. The fuel used for N985MT smells different to jet fuel. We also color code our fuels. We have Red, Green and Blue fuels depending on the grade of fuel being used. Think of it like the different octane ratings for cars at the fuel pump, Even the high prices right now. The plane used blue fuel.
How do you check for fuel contamination?
Well our company policy is to always “sump” the fuel after fueling. This means that we collect a sample of fuel from the bottom of the fuel tank where contaminantes sit. We can then see if any of the contaminants are in the fuel. The most common contaminant, especially here is water.
How does water get in the fuel?
There is always some water in a plane’s fuel tank. Midlands being the humid place it is leads to most every plane having small amounts of water in the fuel tank. But small amounts of water are not dangerous. Larger amounts of water build up can lead to engine failure. Although it is highly unlikely there is a small chance that water from clouds could get into the fuel tank.
Did you check the fuel at all before the July 4th flight?
I was unable to get to the airfield in order to fuel the plane until right before Mr. Cabell was taking off. I had one of my employees, Danny Idelson, fuel the plane.
Why did the plane need to be fueled on July 4th?
Mr. Campbell called me at about 6:00 pm saying that the plane needed to be fueled and ready to go as soon as possible.
