join the fuel cap club

[1964-M20E]

Well I joined the fuel cap club.    Friday I was flying to KORL when after about an hour I looked at my left wing and notice my fuel cap was not secured properly.  At first I thought it is just sitting there nice and pretty why not continue.  However, I knew I would be flying through some rain and possibly light turbulence closer to my destination.  So I told ATC i was diverting and circled down from 110 to land at 4R9.  Landed fixed the fuel cap and was on my way.

 

So how did it happen?  I got distracted fueling up at my home base when another pilot was talking to me about an unrelated airport issue.

[bradp]

Better than me asking for gas at an FBO during a trip. Fuel cap not on right. Not even close.   Rain came.  So did the quart of water in my tank.  Found it on preflight.  Spent a lot of time draining. I educated the line guys that they could have killed me no big deal or anything just don't ever let it happen again.  Now all FBI fueling is supervised.  

Can I be in the fuel cap misadventure club?

[DXB]

John - I recently also got bitten by a brief social distraction during mundane but critical tasks. I think this is the broader club where we are claiming membership. Since the tower at my field now knows that I'm a moron, I might as well divulge here as well.

I thought I had a bulletproof routine for securing my baggage door. I always leave it wide open during pre-flight, then close and latch it after pulling the plane out of the hangar, right before I step on the wing to get in.  At the moment I was closing it a few days ago, a friendly hangar neighbor walked up. I am glad to see him, and we chat for maybe 60 seconds. I then get on board, start up, call ground...

A split second before rotation, an unfamiliar wind noise begins suddenly.  I glance over my right shoulder, gasp, and pull throttle to idle.

Me:  "2971L rejected takeoff, request taxi to back to FBO"

Tower: "71L state nature of problem, do you need assistance?"

Me (sheepishly): "Negative...we have an unlatched baggage door"

When I got home yesterday, I put bright red electrical tape on both sides of the latch so it now sticks out like a sore thumb when open, but I don't think this would have necessarily prevented my mistake.   

 

[nels]

23 minutes ago, DXB said:

John - I recently also got bitten by a brief social distraction during mundane but critical tasks. I think this is the broader club where we are claiming membership. Since the tower at my field now knows that I'm a moron, I might as well divulge here as well.

I thought I had a bulletproof routine for securing my baggage door. I always leave it wide open during pre-flight, then close and latch it after pulling the plane out of the hangar, right before I step on the wing to get in.  At the moment I was closing it a few days ago, a friendly hangar neighbor walked up. I am glad to see him, and we chat for maybe 60 seconds. I then get on board, start up, call ground...

A split second before rotation, an unfamiliar wind noise begins suddenly.  I glance over my right shoulder, gasp, and pull throttle to idle.

Me:  "2971L rejected takeoff, request taxi to back to FBO"

Tower: "71L state nature of problem, do you need assistance?"

Me (sheepishly): "Negative...we have an unlatched baggage door"

When I got home yesterday, I put bright red electrical tape on both sides of the latch so it now sticks out like a sore thumb when open, but I don't think this would have necessarily prevented my mistake.   

 

I always leave my key set in the luggage door. Without the keys it's hard to start the plane.

[Ned Gravel]

This (joining the fuel cap club) has never happened to me and it never will again.  I took pictures to remind myself. 

[Piloto]

You are lucky to have the caps in place. I have heard of missing caps. After refueling always checks the caps.

José

[carusoam]

Thanks for sharing that one, John!

Thanks, José, just wrote a note to purchase a replacement tether for one of my fuel caps.

Annual is comming...

Best regards,

-a-

[Guest]

I recently lost a cap on departure, it sucked about 10 gallons of fuel out in one circuit! Airport maintenance department found the cap on the runway.  Luckily brand P caps are only $50, cheap when compare to Shaw in a Mooney.

Clarence

[Seth]

I noticed an fuel cap on the port wing in 2009, 2010, or 2011 flying north from the Carolinas back to Maryland.  The cap was not flush, but somehow secured (it was latched).  I diverted, refueled, and continued.  Not too much gas was siphoned out (I forget how much) however since that flight I have double checked fuel caps if not present for the refuel.  I will secure the caps myself otherwise.  I was amazed that the person who fueled the aircraft simply wedged it in not flush and overpowered the latching mechanism to make it stick.  This was in my former M20F. 

Though I can't always remove the fuel caps on my inboard tanks (I have Monroy extended range tanks in the Missile) I do ensure they are flush and secured as part of every preflight, and again after any fueling.

-Seth

[Cyril Gibb]

Maybe overkill, but I sump the tanks a few minutes after every refuel or when the plane has sat out overnight or after sitting in or flying through rain.

I also dip the tanks before every departure.  If the caps aren't on correctly I always know it's my fault.

[chrisk]

1 hour ago, Seth said:

I noticed an fuel cap on the port wing in 2009, 2010, or 2011 flying north from the Carolinas back to Maryland.  The cap was not flush, but somehow secured (it was latched).  I diverted, refueled, and continued.  Not too much gas was siphoned out (I forget how much) however since that flight I have double checked fuel caps if not present for the refuel.  I will secure the caps myself otherwise.  I was amazed that the person who fueled the aircraft simply wedged it in not flush and overpowered the latching mechanism to make it stick.  This was in my former M20F. 

Though I can't always remove the fuel caps on my inboard tanks (I have Monroy extended range tanks in the Missile) I do ensure they are flush and secured as part of every preflight, and again after any fueling.

-Seth

I've had this happen twice.  Both times it was discovered on my pre-flight.  These two events make me glad my plane came with anti-siphon plates.  --But they sure are a pain at times.

[Raptor05121]

I guess for once I can love my $900 Shaw caps. I have the Thermos-style caps that you latch, then close the door and secure. So kinda hard to have them improperly seated or else there is a noticeable bulge

[Bob_Belville]

16 hours ago, Piloto said:

You are lucky to have the caps in place. I have heard of missing caps. After refueling always checks the caps.

José

Every now and then our airport manager drives the runway in the golf cart looking for someone's gas cap.

[1964-M20E]

I have the expensive Shaw caps with bladders.  I also have a spare cap (found cheap it on eBay) in the baggage compartment for emergency use. 

 

I too have taxied with the baggage door open it was a hot summer day and when the ground controller asked about it I was not quick enough to tell him I wanted some extra ventilation for the taxi.

 

 

[ArtVandelay]

I have the expensive Shaw caps with bladders.  I also have a spare cap (found cheap it on eBay) in the baggage compartment for emergency use. 

 

I too have taxied with the baggage door open it was a hot summer day and when the ground controller asked about it I was not quick enough to tell him I wanted some extra ventilation for the taxi.

 

 

Do you actually leave the pilot seat to go closed it at the hold short line?

[1964-M20E]

In the run up area.

 

 

[Piloto]

8 hours ago, Bob_Belville said:

Every now and then our airport manager drives the runway in the golf cart looking for someone's gas cap.

These caps are hard to get an expensive. In desperate times they may get borrowed by another plane owner. Have them engraved with your N-number to help recover them.

[Bennett]

8 hours ago, Bob_Belville said: Every now and then our airport manager drives the runway in the golf cart looking for someone's gas cap.

These caps are hard to get an expensive. In desperate times they may get borrowed by another plane owner. Have them engraved with your N-number to help recover them.

When I did a good deal of foreign travel in my 261, I had LASAR install locks (the circular key kind) in all four (Monroe LR tank conversion) caps. Expensive, and a bit of a pain in the backside to unlock and re-lock them, but I thought the investment worthwhile-especially when leaving the airplane at unattended strips in Mexico and the Caribbean.

[1964-M20E]

28 minutes ago, Piloto said:

These caps are hard to get an expensive. In desperate times they may get borrowed by another plane owner. Have them engraved with your N-number to help recover them.

The negative is if it damages property they know right where to go.  Just like you do not want your N number on your oil filter.

[Bennett]

Everything is a balance. I also had a metal shield for the panel and throttle and mixture locks, plus the most formidable prop lock I have ever seen. With enough time and tools,all of this could have been defeated, but I never had a problem, so perhaps all this stuff had a deterrent value.

[Piloto]

1 hour ago, Bennett said:

Everything is a balance. I also had a metal shield for the panel and throttle and mixture locks, plus the most formidable prop lock I have ever seen. With enough time and tools,all of this could have been defeated, but I never had a problem, so perhaps all this stuff had a deterrent value.

I had a sign that I put on the panel saying "Mike I'll be back with the magneto in 15 minutes, José" I changed that to a nice label on the locks reading "Deactivate Alarm Before Opening Door". So far it has worked.

José

[Bob_Belville]

1 minute ago, Piloto said:

I had a sign that I put on the panel saying "Mike I'll be back with the magneto in 15 minutes, José" I changed that to a nice label on the locks reading "Deactivate Alarm Before Opening Door". So far it has worked.

José

Should keep her safe from all except MSers.

[Andy95W]

1 hour ago, Hyett6420 said:

I refueled, right wing first as it is closer to the pump, hold fuel hose put cap on, move to left wing remove cap fuel, return to fuel pump to replace hose,fill  in paperwork and climb aboard aircraft.  Taxi out, go through checklist item by item, take off to Rotterdam..strong smell of fuel in cockpit.  Look around check all things and notice fuel pouring out of the left wing.  Request immediate return land, get given fuel cap by fire crash vehicle who had found it on the runway.  Place cap, take off etc and alls well.   So So damn easy to do and i vowed i would never do it again.....except the other day when i did EXACTLY the same thing except this time another pilot noticed and told atc who told me before i left the fuel pumps.  

I think going forward ill do the left wing first that way if i dont put the cap on the right wing i SHOULD notice before i get in the plane.  Now Fuelguy needs to invent a warning light for fuel caps and  that i WOULD  buy! . 

I've done it twice, too!  Lucky to find the fuel cap both times- both times the left wing.  Now, when I refuel, I put the left fuel cap on the cowling where I absolutely CAN'T miss it when I sit down in my seat.  Not worried about the right fuel cap, I've always noticed it when I get on the wing walk.

[Bennett]

1 minute ago, Piloto said: I had a sign that I put on the panel saying "Mike I'll be back with the magneto in 15 minutes, José" I changed that to a nice label on the locks reading "Deactivate Alarm Before Opening Door". So far it has worked.

José

Should keep her safe from all except MSers.

I like the note. Only good if you read whatever language you chose to write it in. Actually I did use one of those FBI stickers, but mostly as a joke. None of this stopped the DEA from opening up an inspection panel in the tail, and splicing in their own tracker to the tail light wiring. It got to be a game. They would splice it in, and I would remove it and stomp on it on the Tarmac. We went three iterations of this stupidity, until I caught up with the DEA agent in a bar. Hard not to spot a guy with cropped hair, white shirt and tie, when everyone else is wearing tropical attire. We were able to come to a truce when he learned why I was coming to Grand Turk so often - often as a guest of the T&C's Governor.

Hey, I, too, had a fuel cap siphon gas climbing into the flight levels. It was my fault as I hadn't properly seated the cap. The pain in the butt locks made the process a bit more difficult, and I got careless. Now I am a bear about checking, and rechecking.