september2022 - 29

FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR ADDRESSES DEF, DPF AND TRAINING
FAA Advisory Circular 150/5230-4C contains
specifications and guidance for aircraft fuel
storage, handling, training and dispensing
on airports. The September 2021 AC,
which cancels a 2012 AC, lists new training
requirements relating to diesel exhaust fluid
(DEF), diesel particulate filter (DPF) and fuel
system icing inhibitor (FSII).
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)/Fuel System
Icing Inhibitor (FSII)
An FAA spokesperson says the FAA added
this training because of instances where DEF
was accidentally mixed with fuel. When DEF
is mixed with fuel, it causes the fuel filter to be
clogged and results in engine failures.
The reasons that misfueling occurs
are different in most cases, but
when the wrong fuel is used,
that's almost always a factor in an
accident.
comply with certification regulations. "
The FBO's Jet A fuel truck had the
" flattened " nozzle. Line personnel at the
FBO discovered that by rotating the Jet
A nozzle and dispensing at a reduced
pressure, Jet A fuel could be dispensed
without using the adapter. This method
became the normal way for the line person
involved to refuel the two modified
PA-46 airplanes. The line tech reported
that he incorrectly thought the affected
aircraft required Jet A fuel despite
having refueled that airplane several
times previously.
Although FBO line personnel had
correctly fueled the accident airplane in
the past, the line technician mistook the
airplane for one of the converted aircraft.
In two other cases, Lindberg says the
fuel trucks being used were outfitted
with the wrong nozzles.
" What we found on those two
cases were that there were turbine
helicopters at these airports and those
turbine helicopters were easier to fuel
with the 100LL skinny-type nozzle, "
he says. " However, they were needing
Jet A fuel, so the line service personnel
would swap the nozzles to make
" The FAA has been involved in numerous
efforts with the industry to bring attention to
this issue. Including this in the AC is one more
important effort to make airports/operators
aware of this important issue and associated
training, " the spokesperson says.
Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)
While the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) Standard for Aircraft Fuel Servicing
addressed DPF procedures, the spokesperson
says the FAA believes it's also important
to include it in the AC. The vehicle must go
through a regeneration process, which cleans
the filter by burning off the buildup. The vehicle
exhaust reaches extremely high temperatures
during this process. The process must be
done in a remote area, which is identified with
specific signage.
it easier to fuel and then would never
swap them back or would forget to
swap them back. And then, when they
needed to go fill a different airplane,
they had the wrong nozzle on there.
They were using the wrong truck.
There was nothing really to help them
identify that they were misfueling
this airplane. "
Safeguards
Today, there are a number of safeguards
that can be put in place to prevent
misfueling.
Fuel nozzles for Jet A and 100LL offer
different designs. Jet A requires a larger
" duck bill " nozzle while 100LL requires a
skinny, round nozzle.
As long as those are installed correctly
on the trucks, Lindberg says they
Lastly, the advisory circular (AC) has an
addendum of authorized fuel safety training
courses. (The FAA initially published fuel safety
training as a certification alert then added it
into the advisory circular in 2012.) Included
in the addendum is a list of training providers
that have submitted a program that follows
guidance in the AC. According to the FAA,
the purpose of the addendum is to ensure the
training is complete and effective, and that is
determined by training providers and fueling
agents submitting a syllabus to the FAA.
The list changes when the FAA approves new
providers or previously approved providers
stop offering training.
" Ensure your personnel are properly trained
in their daily duties, " the spokesperson
says. " Properly wearing personal protective
equipment (PPE) and practicing safe
procedures will help reduce the possibility of
mistakes. Quick reaction and knowing what
to do in the event of an emergency will reduce
property damage and potentially save lives.
" Training is not a one and done, it is continuous
process. Things are always changing on the
airport, be aware of your surroundings and act
accordingly, " the spokesperson adds.
" Fueling agents should continuously review the
safety protocols and local fire codes to ensure
personnel are staying up to date on the most
current policies and procedures. "
are a valuable safeguard to prevention
misfueling.
Both fueling trucks and airplanes are
color-coded. Black indicates Jet A. Red
indicates 100LL.
" If you've got black on black and
red on red, you know you've got the
correct nozzle going into the correct airplane, "
he says.
Also, he adds fuel filler port restrictors
on many airplanes that use 100LL
make the fuel filler port small and very
restricted so that it can only fit the small
100LL nozzle. The larger Jet A duck bill
nozzle cannot fit inside.
Decals are another safeguard and
should come standard on every airplane,
Lindberg says.
" If you don't have a placard near
your fuel filler port, then it's something
September 2022 || AviationPros.com || 29
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