Service difficulty report · Structure · Urocop EC130B4

Difficulty date
February 7, 2024
Submitted
February 8, 2024
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N307LF
Make and model
Urocop EC130B4
Aircraft serial
7116
Aircraft time
4,977 hours
Part
Structure
Condition
Contaminated
Location
Fuel Tnk Drain
Stage of operation
AA
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
A

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

AFTER TAKEOFF WITH AIR CONDITIONER ON, CREW STARTED TO SMELL JET A FUEL FUMES IN CABIN. FUMES BECAME OVERWHELMING AND CREW DECIDED TO ABORT FLIGHT AND RETURN TO BASE. MAINTENANCE WAS CALLED TO INVESTIGATE. MAINTENANCE HAD REPLACED THE FUEL TANK DRAIN VALVE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND FUEL THAT DRAIN DURING THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF THE DRAIN VALVE HAD SATURATED COMPONENTS AROUND THE FUEL TANKS. MAINTENANCE AND THE PILOT ON DUTY HAD THOUGHT THEY HAD CLEANED THE AREA SATISFACTORY AT THAT TIME. AFTER DETERMINING WHAT THE CAUSE WAS, MAINTENANCE CLEANED THE SURROUNDING AREA WITH DEGREASER AND WATER. AFTERWARDS, THE PILOT AND MAINTENANCE PERFORMED A GROUND RUN WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER FOR 5 MINUTES. NO FURTHER ISSUES FOUND.

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