Fuel leak. Inside cabin!

[John Mininger]

Yesterday, while climbing out of the home airport, I noticed what looked like fuel actually running in a steady stream from under the panel on the passenger side, down onto the floor where the passenger’s legs would have been. Thank God I was solo. I shut down everything except the engine and landed ASAP. When I got the airplane on the ground and stabilized, I discovered it was fuel and it looked like it was running down off the line that runs from the firewall to the fuel pressure gauge.

I checked the higher connection on the inside of the firewall, and I was able to slightly tighten the nut.  But if the problem was caused by a loose connection, I can’t imagine that it would have been loose enough to create a steady stream of leaking fuel.

Has this happened to anyone else? I haven’t removed the fuel line yet. It looks like a heavily reenforced line.

Ironically, this happened two weeks before the airplane was scheduled to go into the avionics shop for a major panel upgrade. Including a G3X with all the primary engine instruments.

[PT20J]

There’s pressure in the line so a loose connection will leak. I’d tighten it and see if that fixes it. It’s going to get removed with the G3X EIS installation.

[John Mininger]

14 minutes ago, PT20J said:

There’s pressure in the line so a loose connection will leak. I’d tighten it and see if that fixes it. It’s going to get removed with the G3X EIS installation.

I will definitely tighten it. But it's hard for me to imagine that it went from no leaks to a stream without an actual break.

Thanks 

[DCarlton]

I believe this is the second time this type of failure has been reported in the last couple of weeks.  One post installation or maintenance if I remember correctly on a fuel line.  Those oil and fuel lines have lasted a long time, but it's got me thinking about replacing all of my primary engine gages with digital instruments (just for the safety aspects alone).  

[N201MKTurbo]

That happened to me once. The fuel pressure line from the firewall to the gauge was bouncing on the starter solenoid and burned a hole in the hose. Sparks and gas in the cockpit. That's the stuff nightmares are made of. 

I found it while starting the engine and the wife said "something is dripping on my leg" I immediately knew what it was and shut the master off. I was out of town and it was a PITA to resolve.

[EricJ]

I'm so glad we can move away from those wet gauges.   If it isn't easy to fix I don't think anybody would blame you if you just capped it off until you got your panel work done.

[John Mininger]

7 minutes ago, EricJ said:

I'm so glad we can move away from those wet gauges.   If it isn't easy to fix I don't think anybody would blame you if you just capped it off until you got your panel work done.

Being that it will be in the avionics shop in about 10 days, that’s what I’m thinking.

 Thanks Eric

[Ragsf15e]

11 hours ago, John Mininger said:

I will definitely tighten it. But it's hard for me to imagine that it went from no leaks to a stream without an actual break.

Thanks 

I had it happen on my jpi930 sensor when I didn’t properly tighten it, but it was in the engine compartment. The blue stain all over the gear doors after shutdown cued me in.  Pick your poison… I flew two hours with it leaking.

[Bolter]

1 hour ago, Ragsf15e said:

I had it happen on my jpi930 sensor when I didn’t properly tighten it, but it was in the engine compartment. The blue stain all over the gear doors after shutdown cued me in.  Pick your poison… I flew two hours with it leaking.

Hangar neighbor had a garmin-specified fuel sensor start leaking under the cowling, as well.  It was apparently a gusher, and there was not only risk of fire, but running out of fuel without any indications.  He took apart the sensor and it appears to be a plastic glued together assembly, and it just decided to go.  

There is always another failure mode to be found when flying!

[jetdriven]

this has happened before. Your next time available, check the age of the hose from the tag, if its really old, replace it. Also, check the routing and if its chafing on anything.

[katzhome]

Happened to me right after the completion of my pre-buy/annual last year.  Me and the instructor found it during the pre-flight.  We had thought it was the fitting, but it was actually the line that had ruptured.