Flying With Refuel Cap Missing
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: The Roman Empire
Flying With Refuel Cap Missing
It happened again, they managed to lose my refuel cap (or whatever you call it).
Of course you get notified after the flight, and maintenance says it's OK to fly back home like that...
Personally, that happened to me maybe 4 times in total, and I've never experienced any troubles on three different airplane models.
Does anybody want to bring any consideration to this?
Of course you get notified after the flight, and maintenance says it's OK to fly back home like that...
Personally, that happened to me maybe 4 times in total, and I've never experienced any troubles on three different airplane models.
Does anybody want to bring any consideration to this?
Last edited by LEM; 26th January 2006 at 08:29.
Joined: Feb 2002
Aviation Qualifications: AME
Posts: 4,183
Likes: 1,119
From: UK
"Certainly with full wing tanks you will get a lot venting through the hole, not so bad with fuselage tanks or partialy empty ones. "
Not on a pressurised refuelling system it won't. Self sealing couplings are the norm these days (pioneered on the Comet1 I believe).
Very rare to find a Boeing with a fuel cap actually fitted.
Airbus A320 on the other hand usually have it fitted as it is flush with the lower wing skin. If it is missing then as has been stated MEL allows for it with regular checks before each flight.
Not on a pressurised refuelling system it won't. Self sealing couplings are the norm these days (pioneered on the Comet1 I believe).
Very rare to find a Boeing with a fuel cap actually fitted.
Airbus A320 on the other hand usually have it fitted as it is flush with the lower wing skin. If it is missing then as has been stated MEL allows for it with regular checks before each flight.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 569
Likes: 0
From: Stockholm Sweden
If the aircraft does not have a fuel jettison system, then the refuel lines are emptied as soon as refuelling completed. The refuel gallery is only used for refuelling and is drained through NRVs into the tanks as soon as the pressure is off. Some aircraft use the refuel gallery as the fuel jettison manifold so the cap is required As a back up. The coupling itself id selfsealing. The B747 has mechanical shut off valves so the fuel cap is the third stage of safety!
Joined: Feb 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,689
Likes: 118
From: USA
Originally Posted by LEM
It happened again, they managed to loose my refuel cap (or whatever you call it).
Of course you get notified after the flight, and maintenance says it's OK to fly back home like that...
Personally, that happened to me maybe 4 times in total, and I've never experienced any troubles on three different airplane models.
Does anybody want to bring any consideration to this?
Of course you get notified after the flight, and maintenance says it's OK to fly back home like that...
Personally, that happened to me maybe 4 times in total, and I've never experienced any troubles on three different airplane models.
Does anybody want to bring any consideration to this?
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: The Roman Empire
If the aircraft does not have a fuel jettison system, then the refuel lines are emptied as soon as refuelling completed. The refuel gallery is only used for refuelling and is drained through NRVs into the tanks as soon as the pressure is off.
