NTSB Report: Unauthorized Car Fuel Cited as Cause of Air Tractor Crash
A recent accident report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) underscores the grave risks associated with using unauthorized car fuel in aircraft engines. The report links this practice directly to an Air Tractor crash. As per the report, published by General Aviation News, the pilot’s failure to maintain altitude and airspeed during cruise flight was likely due to a decrease in engine performance. This performance drop was a result of the unauthorized use of car gasoline.
The accident led to an in-flight collision with a tree and a hard landing. The investigation revealed that the airplane operator failed to test the car gas for ethanol — a fuel additive that most aircraft engines cannot tolerate. Furthermore, the operator did not blend the fuel with aviation gasoline to increase the lead content, a practice allowed for some experimental aircraft operators under specific conditions. The aircraft’s radial engine separated from the fuselage during the accident and could not be fully examined during the investigation.
The NTSB released the report as a learning resource for the wider pilot community. Aviation gasoline (avgas) is specifically designed for aircraft engines. Using car-grade fuel without the correct authorization and testing can lead to serious in-flight engine failure risks. The NTSB strongly advises pilots to always verify fuel type and quality during preflight inspections.
Source: General Aviation News — Unauthorized Use of Car Fuel Leads to Air Tractor Crash