Trans-Oz Bonanza flight ends in tears!
Thread Starter
Trans-Oz Bonanza flight ends in smiles!
Jabawocky, SWMBO and I flew from YBTL across to YPJT via YBMA, YBAS, YAYE and YLEO in the V35B last week - great trip, apart from the 40 kt headwinds between The Rock and Leonora.
Went to depart for Esperence today, only to find to my horror that both , yes BOTH, fuel tanks are leaking - presumably due to fuel bladder failure.
What's the chance?
When at home base and not flying the aeroplane is always hangared - with tanks full.
Absolutely no signs of leaks prior to the pre-flight today, although I had commented on an occasssional momentary whiff of fuel on leveling out TOC.
So the FTDK is stuck at Jandakot awaiting a couple of new bladders and we are on Qantas back home.
The 1991 A36 that is the subject of another thread is looking much better to me!
Dr
Went to depart for Esperence today, only to find to my horror that both , yes BOTH, fuel tanks are leaking - presumably due to fuel bladder failure.
What's the chance?
When at home base and not flying the aeroplane is always hangared - with tanks full.
Absolutely no signs of leaks prior to the pre-flight today, although I had commented on an occasssional momentary whiff of fuel on leveling out TOC.
So the FTDK is stuck at Jandakot awaiting a couple of new bladders and we are on Qantas back home.
The 1991 A36 that is the subject of another thread is looking much better to me!
Dr
Last edited by ForkTailedDrKiller; 20th Nov 2007 at 01:11.
Grandpa Aerotart
Both my fuel cells let go within a few mths about 5+ years ago...turned out they'd been part of a batch of dud fuel cells installed and subsequently recalled, because they were dangerous, about 10+ yrs before...somehow mine had been overlooked
and finally let go 3 yrs after I bought the aircraft.
and finally let go 3 yrs after I bought the aircraft.
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Want someone to go fetch it for you??
I had a B55 on crosshire a coupla years ago and the first time I filled the tanks the left one started dripping - immediately adjacent the exhaust stack! Rang the owner - 'Oh yeah, been like that for a while, just never fill the tanks above 1/2 and she'll be right".....
I had a B55 on crosshire a coupla years ago and the first time I filled the tanks the left one started dripping - immediately adjacent the exhaust stack! Rang the owner - 'Oh yeah, been like that for a while, just never fill the tanks above 1/2 and she'll be right".....
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Hey Dr, you live up near darwin dont you? i am presently in perth and want to head up to darwin to poke around for a new twin job. If you want a driver, i can drive it up there for you! i have about 150 hours on the bo... pm me if you want to talk.
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FTDK, expect to do a fuel cell every 6 to 8 years. Funnily enough the warranty on the cells is 5 years. I have replaced 4 during the time I have owned my Bo, two fairly recently. They are a pain in the arse to change and fail at the most inconvenient time and places. One of the small disadvantages of flying a Bonanza!
Look on the bright side... at least you didn't have to pay for it!
Look on the bright side... at least you didn't have to pay for it!
Thread Starter
Beachy!
Yes, apparently they are just 6 years old.
It would be a bit more convenient if they didn't both go at the same time. I could have hobbled home on one tank.
Jobs being done as we speak. Off to collect it in a week or so.
Is it particularly a Bonanza issue? I have previously had leaking fuel cells in C185, PA23, and C402.
Cheers
Dr
Yes, apparently they are just 6 years old.
It would be a bit more convenient if they didn't both go at the same time. I could have hobbled home on one tank.
Jobs being done as we speak. Off to collect it in a week or so.
Is it particularly a Bonanza issue? I have previously had leaking fuel cells in C185, PA23, and C402.
Cheers
Dr
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Most likely wire locked to prevent ham fisted pilots
shoving the fuel drain up into the tank cavity, thus weakening the tank around the area of the fuel drain.
BSB
shoving the fuel drain up into the tank cavity, thus weakening the tank around the area of the fuel drain.BSB
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Yeah FDTK, I don't know if its just a Bonanza thing or not. A mate has a Baron and he has only done one cell in 10 years! It has two cells per wing though.
Three of the 4 cells that have failed on me have all done so at pretty much the same spot near the fuel outlet teat, where it joins the steel (aluminium?) fuel line. My Lame seemed to think it could be caused by hornets nests (the mungrel bastards) clogging up the vent and causing the cell to suck together pulling on the fixed point of the fuel line. I check the vents very closely with a bit of wire during the pre-flight though, and often find them there and remove them, so I don't know if that is the cause. If the vent is blocked in flight you often find the fuel gauge won't show lower than about half full (when it actually is) and when refuelling the bottom of the cell will ride up and be very close to the fuel cap hole. Blocked vents can be a big problem in flight. I remember reading a couple of incident reports where a blocked vent caused the cell to suck together as fuel burned off and the fuel drain snagged on the lower wing skin and pulled it out, resulting in the whole tank draining overboard
As Norm Colvin says in his Bonanza Bible, keep the tanks as full as possible while on the ground to prolong fuel cell life
Three of the 4 cells that have failed on me have all done so at pretty much the same spot near the fuel outlet teat, where it joins the steel (aluminium?) fuel line. My Lame seemed to think it could be caused by hornets nests (the mungrel bastards) clogging up the vent and causing the cell to suck together pulling on the fixed point of the fuel line. I check the vents very closely with a bit of wire during the pre-flight though, and often find them there and remove them, so I don't know if that is the cause. If the vent is blocked in flight you often find the fuel gauge won't show lower than about half full (when it actually is) and when refuelling the bottom of the cell will ride up and be very close to the fuel cap hole. Blocked vents can be a big problem in flight. I remember reading a couple of incident reports where a blocked vent caused the cell to suck together as fuel burned off and the fuel drain snagged on the lower wing skin and pulled it out, resulting in the whole tank draining overboard
As Norm Colvin says in his Bonanza Bible, keep the tanks as full as possible while on the ground to prolong fuel cell life
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Making fuel???
I remember flying a Chieftain and watching the fuel gage increasing from half full towards the full mark as we flew along. I snagged the fuel gage on the MR, and the engineers could not find any fault.
Next time I flew it the same thing happened and once again the engineers could not find anything wrong with the aeroplane. They were looking strangely at me.
Next time it happened I landed and went straight to the fuel filler cap, and found evidence of a definite suction when I removed it. There was suction distorting the fuel cell gradually as we flew along and lifting the float to increase the reading. The filler cap is in a low pressure area. After the aeroplane had stood for a while, the pressure equalised, and the fault was gone. They told me they fixed it by replacing the seal on the fuel filler cap. (I had already asked them to check the fuel tank vents, and they said "no fault".)
The fuel cell was serviceable.
I prefer solid fuel tanks.
Next time I flew it the same thing happened and once again the engineers could not find anything wrong with the aeroplane. They were looking strangely at me.
Next time it happened I landed and went straight to the fuel filler cap, and found evidence of a definite suction when I removed it. There was suction distorting the fuel cell gradually as we flew along and lifting the float to increase the reading. The filler cap is in a low pressure area. After the aeroplane had stood for a while, the pressure equalised, and the fault was gone. They told me they fixed it by replacing the seal on the fuel filler cap. (I had already asked them to check the fuel tank vents, and they said "no fault".)
The fuel cell was serviceable.
I prefer solid fuel tanks.
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Gooday XXX
They probably did so to speak. The wings were stain free before we left, the fuel tanks were filled Wed lunch time, by Sat morning about 3" less under the filler.
We suspect that the clip studs that hold the tank to the top of the cavity may have pulled away a bit from the bladder, perrished a bit and fragile. We experienced a fair bit of moderate turbulene the day and morning before the refuel, so this is possibly how it happened.
Breathers are an interesting point to be careful of, although we did not experience those symptoms.
J
PS......no probs like that in the Jab hey XXX
They probably did so to speak. The wings were stain free before we left, the fuel tanks were filled Wed lunch time, by Sat morning about 3" less under the filler.
We suspect that the clip studs that hold the tank to the top of the cavity may have pulled away a bit from the bladder, perrished a bit and fragile. We experienced a fair bit of moderate turbulene the day and morning before the refuel, so this is possibly how it happened.
Breathers are an interesting point to be careful of, although we did not experience those symptoms.
J
PS......no probs like that in the Jab hey XXX
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Fuel Tanks
Bushy
On one occasion, in a straight tail Cessna 172, I experienced a little rough running. On looking around I noticed that the fuel drain valve on the left tank was disappearing up into the wing. I opened the window, pressed and held the valve up, the air went in, the engine returned to correct operation.
The Engineers fixed the wasps and had to change the tank due to distortion.
We live and learn.
Tmb
On one occasion, in a straight tail Cessna 172, I experienced a little rough running. On looking around I noticed that the fuel drain valve on the left tank was disappearing up into the wing. I opened the window, pressed and held the valve up, the air went in, the engine returned to correct operation.
The Engineers fixed the wasps and had to change the tank due to distortion.
We live and learn.
Tmb
Thread Starter
VH-XXX
Previous Monday to Saturday: Aircraft having 100 hrly including wing bolt torque check (note wing bolts in photos above) and gear retraction checks - no leaks
Sunday - no leaks
Monday - no leaks
Tuesday - no leaks
Wednesday - no leaks
Saturday - both tanks leaking.
So how would you describe it?
Dr
Previous Monday to Saturday: Aircraft having 100 hrly including wing bolt torque check (note wing bolts in photos above) and gear retraction checks - no leaks
Sunday - no leaks
Monday - no leaks
Tuesday - no leaks
Wednesday - no leaks
Saturday - both tanks leaking.
So how would you describe it?
Dr
Last edited by ForkTailedDrKiller; 8th Nov 2007 at 09:58.