Fuel
Definition
Aviation fuels are specialized types of petroleum-based fuel used to power aircraft. They are
refined to a higher specification under greater quality control than fuels used in less critical
applications, such as heating or road transport and often contain additives to reduce the risk of
liquid fuel icing at low temperatures or the explosion of fuel vapor at high temperatures.
Types of aviation fuel
AVGAS
Jet Fuel
Fuel Related Terms and Definitions
The following fuel related definitions are provided for clarity:
Exhaustion: No usable fuel remains on the aircraft.
Starvation/mismanagement: Usable fuel remains on the aircraft, but it is not available
to the engines.
Contamination: Any foreign substance (for example: water, oil, ice, dirt, sand, bugs) in
the correct type of fuel for the given power plant(s).
Wrong fuel: Fuel supplied to the power plant(s) is incorrect, for example: Jet A into a
piston power plant, 80 octane into a power plant requiring 100 octane.
Threats
There are a number of fuel related threats to safe aircraft operation. They are
related to the misuse or to the malfunction of an aircraft fuel system that must
also be considered. These include:
Fuel Leak - Fuel can leak at the engine, from the tank or anywhere in between
due to fuel tank or fuel line rupture.
Fuel Imbalance - Fuel imbalance can occur as a result of improper refueling
techniques, poor fuel management, and engine failure or fuel leak.
Mechanical failure of a fuel pump.
Fuel Freezing - In gas turbine powered jet aircraft flown at high altitude for long
periods, fuel temperature can be a critical factor. Minimum allowable fuel
temperatures are less likely to be a factor on the operation of turboprop aircraft.
The temperature at which fuel freezes will depend on the prevailing pressure and
on the specification of fuel carried. In GA (General Aviation) aircraft, Piston
Engine Induction Icing or carburetor icing is the most common form of fuel
freezing.
Electrical failure - may limit the availability of fuel pumps and fuel system
indications.
Effects
A fuel leak from an engine can often be resolved by shutting down the
affected engine. A tank leak due to a rupture in the tank will result in the
loss of some or all of the fuel in that tank. If a fuel line is ruptured, it could
result in some fuel being unusable.
An uncorrected fuel imbalance can lead to difficulty in controlling the
aircraft.
A pump failure may be mitigated by a second (or even a third) pump in
the same tank.
Fuel freezing can lead to loss of power due to fuel starvation and
potentially can result in engine failure.
In the event of electrical failure, some, or potentially all, fuel tank boost
pumps will be lost. In most aircraft, gravity fuel feeding is only possible
from some of the fuel tanks. Descent may be required to comply with the
maximum allowable fuel gravity feed altitude. Diversion may be required
due to unusable fuel.
Defenses
In all cases comply with the manufacturer's limitations and
recommendations as published in the AFM and in the Operations Manual
as replicated in the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) or the equivalent
ECAM or EICAS displays.
WARNING - the misidentification or mishandling of a fuel leak can
potentially lead to depletion of all fuel on board the aircraft. Use the QRH
or other appropriate checklist to carefully identify and isolate the leaking
component.
Where possible, maintain the aircraft wing to wing fuel balance within limits
by referring to the QRH or other appropriate checklist
Fuel pump circuit breakers should NOT be reset in flight.
In light aircraft, use carburetor heat as appropriate. In larger aircraft at high
altitude, if the fuel temperature approaches its freezing point, pilots can
descend to warmer air, increase the aircraft speed to increase the Total
Air Temperature or transfer fuel to a tank containing warmer fuel.
