The bulletin
Text extracted from the PDF.
SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS
INFORMATION BULLETIN
Aircraft Certification Service Washington, DC
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration
CE-05-59 June 10, 2005 http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/alerts/ This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerts you, owners and operators of Amateur-Built Experimental airplanes, of the need to evaluate fuel systems for proper functioning with respect to sumping and inlet strainer provisions.
Background
During the investigation of a fatal accident, FAA's Flight Standards Division noted that the fuel system didn’t incorporate provisions for fuel tank sumping or fuel system inlet strainers. Airworthiness standards don’t cover the design and construction of amateur built airplanes. However, type-certificated airplanes incorporate certain fuel system design features that you could benefit from.
We consider many of these features important in preventing fuel contamination by debris, dirt, and water.
Recommendation
We recommend that operators of amateur built experimental airplanes, including those built from kits, review the installation of their fuel systems for the following:
• check to see that there are fuel sumping provisions at the system's low points, so that water can be drained from the fuel system;
• check to see that, in addition to a fuel filter, there is also a fuel strainer on the fuel tank outlet and install one if not present.
This SAIB is for information only. It does not prevent the FAA from initiating rulemaking action in the future if the situation so dictates.
For Further Information Contact
Karl Schletzbaum, Aerospace Engineer, FAA Small Airplane Directorate, Room 301, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; phone:
(816) 329-4146; fax: (816) 329-4090; email:
karl.schletzbaum@faa.gov