Water in Avgas, Engine Damage

[valve guide]

Was wondering if you guys could give me some advice. If an engine stopped (fuel injected 360 lycoming) because it had taken in some fuel, contaminated with water causing it to stop in flight, would it have caused any long term damage to the engine?

Many thanks

VG

[OvertHawk]

that depends on how good your subsequent engine off landing was! ;)

OH

[Gemini Twin]

If it's still in one piece, probably not. Oil change and ground run after purging tanks and lines including filter would be a good idea.

[valve guide]

Thankfully not me doing the auto but someone with loads of experience :D

[Chopper Doc]

It might have buggered the fuel control unit. Take a look at the filter in it. Other than that I doubt it will have done any other harm.

[unstable load]

I would RTFM and see what the manufacturer says. It'd be quite literally criminal if inadequate actions were taken and it came along later to bite a less experienced pilot on the bum.:{
You can't be too safe.

[Chopper Doc]

Lycoming SB398B

VG you might want to start crying right about now. This SB says if you've used the wrong fuel you need to remove the engine and send it away to be checked.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Not Piston but - I once operated an aircraft with a PT6 that was accidentally filled with many gallons of seawater along with the fuel. The engine stopped as well it might - fortunately on the runway - and when the problem was identified the seawater was slowly drained via the tank and system drains until clear fuel ran out and the engine cranked and cranked until it started! Then flown 4 hrs home over bush!!!

The problem (when discovered by chance weeks later, the "pilot" wasn't professional enough to report it) was passed on up the engineering chain and got to "the manufacturer" I assume P & W who had never heard of such an event and had no idea what to do about it. The response was, "If it's running OK just forget about it and carry on".

Residual salt water must have been in the tanks ever after, plus in the FCU, nozzles etc...
The plane didn't last long enough for any long-term effect to become known though.


Chopperdoc. They haven't used the "wrong fuel". That would mean fuel with combustion properties the engine wasn't designed for. Water is a contaminant, not a fuel.
Hard to see how fresh water would do any damage to a fuel system or engine though, it is present in small amounts all the time.

[500e]

Not been a good year for condensation in tanks, leaving tanks low is a bad idea water can cling to wall of tank & when pre flight ch done fuel OK start up vibration will shake water down :{ have seen this at least once this year.
Looked in another 300 tank you could see the water clinging to sides in droplets

[unstable load]

Contact your AMO and ask them, is my advice.

[spinwing]

Mmmmm ...

VG ...

Surely an engine stoppage in flight (due to water contamination) and a forced landing as a consequence would be a reportable incident ... certainly at least needing an entry in the aircraft maintenance release and then requiring engineering action to clear same ??? ....

Or are the rules different where you happen to be ?? :confused:

[Helinut]

VG,

it all depends on what happened and you cannot really tell that without X-Ray vision. The correct answer has to be to follow the manufacturer's advice. To do otherwise would be to risk all manner of unpleasant consequences.

You also ought to sue the supplier of the duff fuel.