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In well-lit hangar and separated into nice clean glass containers, its easy to tell the difference between 100LL aviation gasoline and kerosene-based turbine fuels like Jet A. In the field, not so much: Fuel tanks are dark places, and shining a flashlight onto a liquid rarely helps identify what it is. Draining some fuel into a sampling cup and comparing it to what youre looking for may not help, either, since jet fuel typically is clear (or straw-colored) and may not appreciably change the tint of 100LL.

The reality of trying to burn Jet A-essentially a high-quality kerosene-in a spark-ignition piston engine was detailed in a March 1988 NASA technical paper:

My first ride in a DC-3-way back in the cheap seats-could have been my last. It was the mid-1980s, and the old girl had been outfitted to demonstrate early moving-map technology. The tech was so early, in fact, that a DC-3 was needed to accommodate all the electronics that now fit into a smartphone. To make a long story short, a 30-minute demonstration ride became a lengthier weather- and fuel-related diversion. As the crew and passengers disembarked to stretch our legs before the last leg home, a fuel truck pulled up to add some much-appreciated dinosaur juice. It said Jet A on the side.

On October 9, 2013, in Xenia, Ohio, a Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage sustained a nosewheel failure and departed the runway after landing. There were no injuries.

Airplanes vibrate. Airflow on an airframe induces a natural low-level vibration. Engine and propeller operations add their respective notes to this ensemble. Its up to the pilot to be attuned to the subtle differences, whether it occurs in the air or on the ground, though pilots with noise-canceling headsets may be at a slight disadvantage. Listen. Pay attention to how your plane feels. The key is knowing the difference between a good vibration and one that presages impending failure.

A number of years ago, a fellow owner and I both noticed an unusual shimmy in the main gear of our 182 on landing roll out. My first thought was a warped brake rotor, but the vibration didnt seem to be affected by the application of brakes. Hmm. While it didnt seem like a big deal, it wasnt right either, so we had the mechanic take a look.

Bolts, screws, rivets and skin-they keep all the parts flying in formation. When they are properly tightened and well fitted, with metal specifications, thread pitches and torques all carefully considered, you and your aircraft parts should land simultaneously. Despite the best care of aircraft designers and mechanics, however, aviation does not always proceed according to expectation. Component failure, the culmination of repeated stresses known as metal fatigue, can mean you and your parts landing in different locations, a situation best avoided.

To obtain a better picture of LOC accidents and their root causes, I looked at fatal GA accidents in 2011, long enough ago that NTSB final reports are available. I used the NTSBs Web-based database (www.ntsb.gov). I confined my search to U. S.-based Part 91 fatal accidents and excluded amateur-built aircraft and Part 135 accidents. In the word search box, I used the term loss of control. The search turned up 47 accidents, each including a factual report and a probable cause finding. I reviewed both for all 47 accidents.

The GAJSC, like its airline counterpart the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), was established in the 1990s. According to its Web site, GAJSC works to improve general aviation safety through data-driven risk reduction efforts that focus on education, training, and enabling new equipment in general aviation aircraft. The CAST has been spectacularly successful in its efforts, as evidenced by an 80-percent reduction in airline fatal accident rates.

The FAA, NTSB and the aviation community have spent a lot of time and effort analyzing how and why pilots lose control of their aircraft, historically the leading cause of fatal general aviation accidents. A recent report by the FAA/industry General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC-see the sidebar on the opposite page), closely looked at the reasons why, highlighting dozens of recommended mitigations to reduce loss-of-control (LOC) accidents. Many of its recommendations have great value.