WATCH OUT line boys caused leak in my fuel tank.

[Danb]

Got up this morning deciding to beat the heat and fly, taxied to get fuel turned my back momentarily on the fuel master, gas running off my wing all over the ground etc.

The relief drain was dripping, ok  10 minutes, 20,30 and so on. Well the little tube wasn’t dripping it was leaking around the tubing, he squeezed the nozzle and the fuel shot out with crazy pressure, I think he pulled the nozzle out while still depressed I believe. I’m having them drain the tank, then who knows. Can they repair the leak?? Maybe I should go over, with the tank dry fly to Weber’s on one tank, I don’t really like that. What happened and what’s the fix? 

How do we know the lineman is qualified to give us fuel. I took a pix of the dripping and will try to download.

 

[Piloto]

Next time have the line girls do the fill up.

[Danb]

Cool, they looked at the tank inside and said it was leaking next to the speedbrake  saying the tubing is to keep the speedbrake dry.?? Doesn’t make sense Jose what could cause the leak around the tubing?

And proper repair

[Danb]

[Marauder]

Dan - not familiar with that tube. Sorry to hear about the issue. I don’t know why you can’t legally fly on one tank to a MSC.


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[Piloto]

11 minutes ago, Danb said:

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Does your plane has long range tanks?

José

[Danb]

Yes the vinyl tubing is leaking fuel

[Davarron]

If that tube is the speed brake drain tube, sounds like maybe when fuel went on the wing maybe the fuel went down the speed brake area and is now coming out down near that tube. Doesn't look like its coming out of the tube rather around the seal area that the tube comes out of the wing. A lot of fuel must have went down that speed brake and now on the inner part of the wing possibly

[Danb]

Just now, Davarron said:

If that tube is the speed brake drain tube, sounds like maybe when fuel went on the wing maybe the fuel went down the speed brake area and is now coming out down near that tube. Doesn't look like its coming out of the tube rather around the seal area that the tube comes out of the wing. A lot of fuel must have went down that speed brake and now on the inner part of the wing possibly

It was still dripping after and hour, I have a pix of the drip, initially it ran out then went to a steady drip.

[Mooney in Oz]

28 minutes ago, Danb said:

 

Cool, they looked at the tank inside and said it was leaking next to the speedbreak saying the tubing is to keep the speedbreak dry.?

 

Could the fuel have flowed into the speedbrake from the top?

[Danb]

Yes the vinyl tubing is leaking fuel

[Danb]

Just now, Mooney in Oz said:

Could the fuel have flowed into the speedbrake from the top?

Maybe the wing was saturated with fuel and maybe a gallon on the tarmac

[neilpilot]

Dan, consider flushing the top of the speed brake with copious water and then determine if the dripping remains as fuel.  Hopefully as other's have speculated it's draining the speed brake only and does not involve your tank.

[Mooney in Oz]

8 minutes ago, Danb said:

Yes the vinyl tubing is leaking fuel

This might necessitate a call to Precise Flight.

I’ve never heard of anything like this happening before. How can it be that you simply taxi up to refuel and this happens?

i sincerely hope this doesn’t cause you a lot of grief.

[Danb]

I get fuel there often without issues, I don’t know if the nozzle malfunctioned or what, it doesn’t make sense that fuel could have filled up the brakes without going dry, the leak must be around the tubing where it comes out the bottom of the wing.

[kortopates]

If there is a leak, it’s in the long range tank just in front of the speed brake leaking into the speed brake area where it is draining out of around the vinyl tube.
Hard to believe some fuel spilled over the wing running down speed brakes would drip for more than a few minutes.
Is the speed brake anywhere near the fuel filler neck?


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[Danb]

Not real close gotta be leaking around the tube not through it

[N201MKTurbo]

It sounds like you filled the speed brake full of fuel.

Some time soon you should service the speed brake. It probably washed all the grease off the gears.

[Danb]

Just inspected and approved the repair, with the speed brake out, the tubing is to be in a dry environment, there drying out the brake, cleaning up the area with mek as recommended in the maintenance manual, then where the brake inserts into the wing I’m having them clear, clean with mek and use the leak sealant as recommended, I believe that will take care of it. 

Just watch out for poorly trained linemen.

[MB65E]

Why use Mek? It’s just 100LL. 

The water idea isn’t the worst idea, but I’d just let it dry out. 

I would fly it and see if it stops. 

Take off on the opposite tank if it bothers you. 

-Matt

[Danb]

Mek to clean out the area that the sealant seemed to loosen on the seam inside the box that holds the speed brake, we suspect it could have leaked at the seam, after it cures Im waiting 48 hours I’ll know if it worked out ok.

[gsxrpilot]

I'd have flushed the speed break with water and taken off. It's pretty easy with a powerful nozzle to overflow fuel over the top of the wing. This might be a bit more than usual, but I wouldn't have worried about it.

[gsxrpilot]

BTW... the title is a bit misleading. I don't believe you've got a leak IN your tank. And probably not any LEAK at all.

[Danb]

After 90 minutes it was still dripping constantly filling up the bottom of a five gallon can, I don’t believe the speed brake case can hold that much, we found a small tear of the sealant on one side of the casing, which is the reasoning to have me repair it at there cost, not being mechanical I’m attempting to be logical, it originally was siphoning out then to a constant drip, there was zero chance to I’d leave that way.

[kortopates]

Not real close gotta be leaking around the tube not through it

Given the above it’s unlikely pressure from the pump removed sealant from in front of the speed brake if it’s not in the immediate vicinity. So its probably not the fault of the line boy - not that that helps you. But still dripping after 90 minutes it can't not be a leak. But this can't be patched from the speed brake closed off area. The tank will have to be opened in front of speed brake and patched. In fact the real source of the leak could be elsewhere and it's just running downhill behind the tank to the speed brake area where it can drain.

Good sealant isn't going to come off from the pressure of the gas pump. But of course it's foolish to push older sealant like that and get it to start coming off any sooner that it needs too! Abusive even, considering as David says above, our pride and joy deserves more respect than yours was shown.


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