I have never parked my airplane after a more or less uneventful flight and been so dismayed at the sight of my wing when I shut down the engine. The flight, approach and landing were textbook, with no hint at all of the excitement that could have greeted me that night. No, the ailerons were fine, the flaps were retracted completely, the strobes intact and the leading edge had very few bugs. Here is my story.
Slow Down Your Flying
Key Takeaways:
- During a cross-country flight, a nighttime refueling stop was complicated by a broken fuel truck, requiring manual fuel transfer during a sudden rainstorm.
- Distracted by the non-routine fueling and bad weather, the pilot failed to conduct a proper preflight check, resulting in the right wing's fuel cap being left off.
- This oversight led to the entire right fuel tank emptying in flight, emphasizing the critical importance of thorough preflight inspections, particularly when routines are disrupted.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
