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That fuel tester I laughed at probably saved my hide yesterday
I always thought those water-finding testers were overkill for small planes until I found a quarter cup of water in a Cherokee's tank at Stewart Airport. Has anyone else ever had a preflight check catch something that big?
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dakota1609d ago
...and that's exactly what gets me. I've had water show up on sump checks more times than I care to count, always in planes that "just flew yesterday" or "were fine in the morning." Never a quarter cup like you found though, that's a scary amount. I remember one time at a little strip in Georgia I got about two tablespoons out of a Cessna 172 and the fuel guy tried to tell me it was just condensation. Something about the way they always dismiss it makes the find feel even more important. Glad you checked, seriously.
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Funny you mention Stewart. I did my flight training out of there years ago and we had a guy who skipped the sump check because he was running late. Ended up doing an off-field landing on 78 near the golf course when the engine started running rough at 2000 feet. The NTSB report found water in the fuel. So yeah, those little testers might seem like a joke until you're the one who didn't use one. Makes you wonder how many people get away with skipping it every single day.
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