Diesel Additive Again Contaminates Jet Fuel

After noting that five incidents of aircraft uncommanded roll events with the ATLAS activated have been reported to EASA and the FAA, the U.S. agency on May 24 issued an airworthiness directive (AD) grounding Cessna CitationJet 525, 525A and 525B models equipped with Tamarack active load alleviation system (ATLAS) winglets. The action is related to an EASA AD and is mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product.

Editorial Staff

Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) contamination in jet fuel is causing engine failures in turbine-powered aircraft, stemming from DEF being mistakenly introduced into the jet fuel supply via airport ground equipment.
The FAA has grounded Cessna CitationJet 525, 525A, and 525B models equipped with Tamarack ATLAS winglets due to multiple reports of uncommanded roll events and concerns about potential loss of aircraft control.
The special flight procedures Notam for the 2019 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Fly-In is now available, outlining operational changes and procedures for attending pilots, effective from July 21-31.

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As we reported in our October 2018 issue, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is finding its way into the jet fuel dispensed at airports and loaded aboard turbine-powered aircraft. Two events at different airports, one in 2017 and another in 2018, resulted in DEF-contaminated fuel and a special airworthiness information bulletin. Recently, two more jets—both Citation 550s and both flown by the same Punta Gorda, Fla.-based operator—experienced engine failures blamed on DEF contamination.

According to AOPA, the two jets were en route as air ambulances from Naples, Fla., to different destinations when one diverted to Savannah, Ga., and the other to Louisville, Ky. Both jets experienced engine failures before reportedly landing without further difficulty.