Update: on Australian Aviation Fuel Crisis

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There's also an earlier thread posted today the link for which is posted below:

Update: on Australian Aviation Fuel Crisis

Excerpts from story:

Mobil sets up $15m avgas compo fund

"The fuel contamination crisis, described as the worst of its type in the world, has grounded 5,000 aircraft across Australia."

"Light aircraft have been grounded since last Monday following revelations that avgas produced by Mobil's Altona refinery was causing a black sludge to form in aircraft fuel lines."

"Another form of the contamination was also affecting fuel tanks, causing formation of clear deposits which could block supply of fuel."

Link to story in The Age Australia:

http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/0001/18/A31943-2000Jan18.shtml

link to TB 2000 Thread:

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-post-reply-form.tcl

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 18, 2000

Answers

Alright Carl, I know I'm not the first one to say a lot of your posts are a bit "NOISY." I have been following this situation closely from Australia, and it does not seem Y2K related. Sure, perhaps some of the things you have posted are Y2K related and the rest of the world doesn't know it yet, and everybody is going to want to shake your hand because you proposed that IT WAS Y2K related first. Please consider that some of the readers (like me) are intensely researching the Y2K subject and screening through all your "wannabe-Y2K-related" posts is big waste of time. Isn't there another message board you can use to report random incidences of chaos? Don't stop posting here. I think you mean well, but the noise is driving me crazy!!!

-- froach (froach@hushmail.com), January 18, 2000.

-- froach commented

"Please consider that some of the readers (like me) are intensely researching the Y2K subject and screening through all your "wannabe-Y2K-related" posts is big waste of time. Isn't there another message board you can use to report random incidences of chaos? Don't stop posting here. I think you mean well, but the noise is driving me crazy!!! "

froach, you NITWIT, Carl is posting these potential stories here for our comment. If you feel this is not y2k related give us FACTS, not this kind of BS.

Ray

PS Thanks Carl, for your continued efforts to expose potential y2k problems.

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), January 18, 2000.


short fuse today, Ray?

-- (-@-.-), January 18, 2000.

Actually (-@-.-}, I thought I was quite restrained in my response!!

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), January 18, 2000.


Ray, Carl did write this as an *Update* on a prior post. If you didn't think the original was on topic why did you bother "wasting your time" with the update?

Or for brevity's sake, lighten up.

Thanks for the Update, Carl,

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.com), January 18, 2000.



About three months ago, a similar situation happened at the Chico Airport, Chico, CA. Millions of dollars worth of damage was done to aircraft including replacement of aircraft engines.

-- Rasty (Rasty@bulldoggg.xcom), January 18, 2000.

Remember Wired's 'Lights Out' issue? Oil refining is a heavily computerized, continuous 24/7/365 process. Basically crude is cooked and different products come off at different times and temperatures. Some substance made it into the avgas that wasn't supposed to. Aviation fuel has been made for a very long time, basically it's what we used to call leaded, high-octane gas.

It may be, ( or may not )that this is one of the ancillary effects on refining that RC was discussing. DOmino y2k effects will seem to be some other problem until the root cause upline is found....knee bone connected to the thigh bone, etc.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), January 18, 2000.


A second contaminant has now been found in the fuel.

"Mystery gel keeps aircraft grounded

By NICK LEYS, MARGO KINGSTON and JOSEPH KERR

Planes affected by the fuel contamination scare will remain grounded for at least another week following the discovery yesterday of a second contaminant in the fuel.

This blow came after an announcement of a $15 million program to ease the hardships of aircraft owners and operators hit by the Mobil fuel contamination.

(snip)

"Authorities and Mobil had hoped planes would start flying again later this week when a test was approved by Mobil on Sunday that identified a contaminant in aviation fuel.

But Professor David Trimm - the petrochemical expert hired to solve the contamination problem - reported late last night that two different forms of contaminant had been isolated.

A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman, Mr Peter Gibson, said that although Professor Trimm had approved Mobil's testing procedure for the first contaminant that was isolated - a black gunk - a clear or white gel had now been discovered, and they had so far been unable to identify it.

"We just don't know what it is," Mr Gibson said. "It's a mystery white gel at this point. Professor Trimm has reviewed the testing methods of Mobil and he does not believe Mobil can confidently say [what] the white gel is."

He said Professor Trimm had recommended that until the nature of the second substance was known, all aircraft should remain on the ground.

"Before aircraft can fly," he said, "we must know an answer."

"It would be at least a week before the white gel was identified."

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), January 18, 2000.


Wow, thanks Rachel. Mystery gel huh? Dippity do? Frankly this is worthy of a new thread. Seems to me if the components of the gelk cannot be identified forthwith, then Mobil cannot identify the PROBLEM much less how to remediate the problem ......

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@needa.newaddress), January 18, 2000.


Hve you ever noticed that if you leave gasoline for a long time. the smell changes and it starts to jell up? The prep forums talked about gas preserving chemicals alot.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), January 18, 2000.


Have you ever noticed that if you leave gasoline for a long time. the smell changes and it starts to jell up? The prep forums talked about gas preserving chemicals alot.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), January 18, 2000.

Squirrel Hunter

Mobil is keeping awfully quiet about the whole thing. The information appearing in public stems from what is being discovered by government agencies; the oil company appears to be offering nothing about what might have caused the original problem nor, in fact, whether it is yet fixed. Of course, lawsuits have already been filed, so I suppose their silence is justifiable. Still, you'd think they'd have the knowledge of what is in the mixture to be of some help to those trying to deal with the debacle. I tried to see what I could find on their website (www.mobil.com.au) but I do not have the proper program to access it.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), January 18, 2000.


Thanks Carl! I had posted the original, which named Mobil, and I think referred to refinery probs..or maybe that was my concern?

Anyway, the original story concerned me and other folks, so I appreciate you taking the time following headlines to spot this puppy, then take the time to post it for all to COMMENT, (*throat clearing).

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 19, 2000.


Links to a couple of new articles:

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,2294,227059%255E421,0 0.html

http: //www.abc.net.au/news/2000/01/item20000119111531_1.htm

Excerpt from the second one:

""Fuel crisis set to spread with further groundings

Aircraft operators have been dealt another blow, with Mobil placing a second quarantine on avgas fuel in 15 locations along the east coast of Australia.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is now considering whether to ground more light aircraft, which may have used the second lot of contaminated fuel.

CASA says Mobil quarantined the sites when it discovered fuel lines and filters were not properly cleaned after the first discovery of contaminated fuel.

Spokesman Peter Gibson says while Mobil believes there is no risk of further contamination, CASA is still considering grounding light aircraft which may have used the fuel.

"At this stage the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has not been able to determine what risk there may be to aviation safety," Mr Gibson said.

"We believe it's probably low, but we're working now to get more information urgently from Mobil so we can make some decision as to whether any aircraft have to be grounded because of Mobil's actions."

What comment do you want, Hokie? There now appears to be a "second lot of contaminated fuel." Far too little information to draw conclusions from in regards to causes. As someone said on another thread, it may be as simple as an operator glancing away for a moment. Or two.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), January 19, 2000.


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