The following was issued as a CASA NOTAM via their web page on January 7, 2000. FURTHER INFORMATION IN REGARD TO AD/GEN/77 The contamination in the suspect fuel is more difficult to clean from aircraft systems than was first anticipated. The contamination can take various chemical forms, but is most noticeable as a black vegemite deposit on copper and copper alloys. The contamination is known to be soluble in water (and acids), but barely in fuel. Hence, cleaning the tanks after they have been contaminated is not a trivial task. Mobil has recommended that CASA give serious consideration to issuing a requirement that all aircraft covered by AD/GEN/77 should have additional fuel cleaning before further operation. CASA is investigating what cleaning would be effective, and is expecting to revise AD/GEN/77 on Monday 10th January 2000. The NOTAM below has been issued to provide general information regarding this problem. RESTRICTIONS ON AIRCRAFT SUBJECT TO AD/GEN/77 REF CONTAMINATED FUEL CASA has received numerous reports that aircraft cleaned in accordance with AD/GEN/77 have excessive levels of repeat contamination before the 15 hours reinspection time required under the directive. The directive is currently being rewritten to improve the cleaning requirements, and is expected to be reissued on 10 Jan 2000. The amended AD will note that aircraft that had contamination may require enhanced cleaning before being certified as clean. In the interim, all operators of piston engine aircraft which have received suspect 100/130 green dyed fuel and were found to be contaminated must carry out the inspections required by AD/GEN/77 2B prior to each flight. If deposits are evident, AD/GEN/77 3 applies. SIGNED M TOLLER, DIRECTOR OF AVIATION SAFETY. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/GENERAL/78. and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CAR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aircraft - General AD/GENERAL/78 Amdt 1 Fuel Contamination 2/2000 TX Applicability: Aircraft refuelled during one or more of the periods and at one or more of the locations detailed below with 100/130 AVGAS (green dyed fuel) released from Mobil at Yarraville Victoria: (a) 24 November 1999 to 23 December 1999 in Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory or south of Townsville in Queensland, or (b) 21 November 1999 to 23 November 1999 at Bankstown, Albury, Hay or Griffith in New South Wales; or Essendon or Moorabbin in Victoria. Note 1: Includes turbine aircraft that have been approved to operate on 100/130 AVGAS. The determination of aircraft applicability is to be carried out by the Certificate of Registration holder or an agent authorised in writing by the Certificate of Registration holder. This determination shall be carried out by contacting fuel suppliers at locations where 100/130 AVGAS fuel was uplifted in the periods of concern and obtaining documented evidence of the oil company's status of that fuel. Such documented evidence shall be retained as an aircraft maintenance record. Note 2: Documented evidence from an airfield representative of BP or an aviation agent/distributor/supplier of Mobil, at the location where the fuel was purchased, that the fuel uplifted was not released from Mobil Yarraville Victoria during the period 21 November 1999 through 23 December 1999 is acceptable evidence that the fuel is not contaminated. Requirement: 1: CANCELLED 2: Aircraft refuelled only with fuel deemed by the supplier not to have been released from Mobil Yarraville Victoria during the period 21 November 1999 through 23 December 1999 may be returned to service. For such aircraft, the following statement shall be recorded and certified on the aircraft maintenance release and in the aircraft log book, by the Certificate of Registration holder or an agent authorised in writing: "The aircraft fuel uplifts have been deemed by (name of fuel supplier) not to have been released from Mobil Yarraville Victoria in the period 21 November 1999 to 23 December 1999. This aircraft has been cleared for flight in accordance with CAR 1998 Part 39, AD/GENERAL/78 Amdt 1." 3: Aircraft refuelled with fuel deemed by the supplier to be fuel released from Mobil Yarraville Victoria during the period 21 November 1999 through 23 December 1999 shall be removed from service. For such aircraft, the following statement shall be recorded and certified on the aircraft maintenance release and in the aircraft log book: "This aircraft is unairworthy. The aircraft fuel system is contaminated and the aircraft has been removed from service in accordance with CAR 1998 Part 39, AD/GENERAL/78 Amdt 1." Note 3: Certification made per the original issue of this Airworthiness Directive satisfies the intent of this requirement. Compliance: Effective 12 January 2000: Before further flight. However, the aircraft may be flown direct to another location to enable maintenance to be carried out, subject to: (a) the total flight time not exceeding 5 hours, and (b) operating crew only being carried in the aircraft, and (c) the aircraft being flown only in day/VFR operation, and (d) flight over water being conducted within gliding distance of land. Terminating action for aircraft rendered unserviceable by Requirement 3 of this Directive, may be: (a) compliance with an "approved procedure to de-contaminate an affected aircraft", or (b) replacement of the entire aircraft fuel system and engine fuel system with serviceable components in accordance with approved maintenance data. For the purpose of this Airworthiness Directive an "approved procedure to de-contaminate an effected aircraft" is one that has been approved by CASA per CAR (1988) 2A(4) or a procedure approved by the aircraft manufacturer. Note 4: As of the issue date of this Airworthiness Directive, neither CASA nor any aircraft manufacturer has approved a de-contamination procedure. Approved procedures will be advised as they are developed. This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 12 January 2000. Compliance with the original issue of this Airworthiness Directive satisfies the requirements of this amendment. Background: This Directive has been issued to address concern for the safety of aircraft fuelled with 100/130 AVGAS known to have been contaminated during the refinery process. Following compliance with AD/GENERAL/77, there has been substantial evidence of fuel system contamination re-occurring in aircraft that have complied with the requirements of that Directive. It is now known that the contaminant, Ethylene Di-Amine, can also exist as a clear substance as well as a black sticky substance as previously advised. Requirement 1 has been cancelled as it has now been included in the applicability determination. CASA is working closely with aircraft manufacturers and oil companies to develop expeditiously separate procedures which will: verify with confidence if contamination is or is not present, and satisfactorily clean the contamination from the aircraft and engine fuel systems. The results will be made available as soon as possible. This amendment: revises the applicability to include turbine engines, clarifies responsibility in identifying aircraft applicability, formalises retention of documented evidence from the fuel supplier, identifies requirements for terminating action for aircraft rendered unserviceable as a result of fuel contamination. The original issue of this Airworthiness Directive superseded CAR 1998 Part 39 AD/GENERAL/77 which was cancelled 10 January 2000. Richard G Yates Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 12 January 2000 The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 12 January 2000. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From the ABC Monday 10th. January 2000 CASA grounds more planes in contaminated fuel crisis Up to 5,000 aircraft have been grounded by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), amid a further escalation of the contaminated fuel crisis. A new form of contaminant has been discovered. CASA has issued a new directive grounding all piston-engined planes that used fuel from Mobil's Altona refinery between November 21 and December 23. The order will affect 4,000 to 5,000 planes. Lynn Bell reports CASA has ground more planes after a new fuel contamination. CASA director Mick Toller says a second form of contaminant in a white or clear gel was found in aircraft tanks over the weekend, prompting the latest groundings. Mr Toller says the aviation industry is in a very grave situation and is under economic threat as a result of the fuel crisis. He says CASA hopes to devise a test to clear some grounded planes by the end of the week but others could take a month. Mr Toller says the situation will adversely affect rural Australia. He says if the contamination problem continues it might be necessary to allow some essential aviation services to fly, despite the risks. "People like the Air Ambulance people, people like the bushfire fighting aircraft, some rescue helicopters, those sorts of elements," he said. "We recognise that if a national emergency arises, it may well be sensible to make a decision at my level that we allow those aircraft to fly knowing the risks of the fuel because of the necessary duty that they have." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Via ABC News On-Line Sat, 8 Jan 2000 Mobil overreacting to fuel contamination crisis: CASA The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) says Mobil is overreacting to the aviation fuel contamination crisis which has grounded thousands of aircraft on Australia's eastern seaboard. The Aircraft Operators' and Pilots' Association says Mobil has called for all planes which have used the Avgas fuel after November to remain grounded until further notice. But CASA spokesman Peter Gibson says his organisation will not back the recommendation. "We believe Mobil's gone too far in suggesting that all planes should be grounded until further notice, because there are many aircraft out there that have used the Mobil fuel that are not showing any signs of contamination," he said. "So instead what the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is requiring is an inspection of all aircraft to make sure there are no signs of contamination, so if that's the case then they can fly." Grounded Thousands of aircraft on Australia's eastern seaboard are grounded this weekend as a result of the contamination crisis. The Aircraft Operators and Pilots Association says Mobil has recommended planes which used its contaminated Avgas fuel after November not fly until further notice. The Association's Bill Hamilton says thousands of planes are unable to fly, at enormous financial cost. "The financial implications of that to me personally are quite frightening," Capt Hamilton said. "The whole of the general aviation industry works on very fine margins, it's very, very competitive. "Many of the businesses are small businesses, no more than a handful of employees, exactly the kind of small business that is never in a position to financially weather a major problem like this." "All the freight services to the remote areas, the smaller towns, mail, parcel services, such things as organ delivery, blood delivery, has just been put on the ground," Capt Hamilton said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mobil should pay compensation for bad fuel AAP 11jan00 OIL giant Mobil should be responsible for the huge cost of the latest fuel contamination disaster, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) said today. CASA director Mick Toller said the new crisis would cost individual aircraft operators and owners many thousands of dollars in lost revenue and maintenance. CASA yesterday issued a formal directive grounding about 5,000 planes which had filled up with Mobil 100/130 avgas between November 21 and December 23. The contamination, which causes the partial or complete blockage of aircraft fuel systems, is one of the worst to hit aircraft anywhere in the world. "We are not only talking about lost revenue, we are also talking about significant maintenance costs," Mr Toller told Sky News. "The cost to the industry is going to be very high indeed. "As far as I am concerned, this is a classic case of a consumer-supplier relationship that has gone wrong. "The operators and the owners bought fuel in good faith. "That fuel has had a disastrous effect on their aircraft and I think it is fairly obvious who should be paying for it." Mobil corporate affairs manager Alan Bailey said he acknowledged the contamination was a crisis for the aviation industry but talk of compensation possibly around $40 million was premature. "It's not something that we can resolve at this point in time," he said. "Our main focus is on the safety of our customers and their aircraft operations and doing what we can to get them back into the air safely as soon as is possible. "Mobil certainly accepts responsibility for recovering the affected fuel from the marketplace and replacing it and assisting in the process of cleanout of those engines that have been affected." Aircraft owners and operators had been looking for black deposits in fuel systems as evidence of contamination but there is now evidence of the contamination in a white or clear form. Mr Toller said the first effect of the contamination which grounded planes was "a black vegemitey-type gunk". "What we discovered over the weekend was a new product of the contaminant which is more like the sealants that you put around windows," he said. "It can either be clear or it can be a whitish colour, forming in fuel tanks. "This is a secondary chemical effect of the original contaminant. "The white junk, the latest goo ... that we are finding in the aircraft is in the fuel tanks and it appears ... that that is a result of a reaction between the contaminant and air, specifically carbon dioxide." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From ABC 12/01/00 CASA defends handling of fuel crisis Australia's aviation safety regulator has defended its handling of the contaminated fuel crisis affecting up to 5,000 planes. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has grounded all planes which received fuel from Mobil's Altona refinery in the month leading up to Christmas. The grounding order was issued two days after Mobil began advising customers not to fly with contaminated fuel. Up to 5,000 small to medium-sized planes have been grounded in eastern Australia as the CASA and Mobil search for a test and cleaning method to establish the extent of fuel contamination. Several aviation industry operators have begun laying off staff and freight and passenger services to rural areas have been cut. CASA director Mick Toller says the authority has acted responsibly and sensibly with the information available to it. He says the decision not to ground planes last Friday was correct at the time. "It enabled the people who clearly at that stage had shown no signs of any problems with contamination to continue flying," he said. "What we discovered over the weekend was a new effect and it's a result of that new effect, the secondary issue, that we issued the grounding that came out yesterday." Devastating Acting Prime Minister and Transport Minister John Anderson has acknowledged the aviation fuel contamination crisis is having a devastating impact on the general aviation industry. Mr Anderson has rejected calls by the Opposition for an independent inquiry into the fuel crisis but says he is deeply aware of how serious the crisis has become. The Labor Party has demanded the independent investigation to establish whether Mobil, CASA and Mr Anderson acted quickly and properly to deal with the problem. Mr Anderson has rejected that push but says he is looking at all options for a quick resolution. "This is now a very serious problem indeed which is having a devastating effect on the general aviation industry," he said. Mr Anderson has called for immediate talks to try to resolve the fuel crisis. Mr Anderson says Mobil must immediately begin direct mediation with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the general aviation industry. "The problem that we now have...has reached very serious proportions with the fuel contamination issue grounding much of general aviation and that simply has to be resolved," he said. "The players have to start to communicate effectively about how they're going to handle the very real economic damage and the difficulties that arise out of it." Compensation Many in the aviation industry are planning to seek compensation from Mobil, with some discussing the possibility of a class action law suit. A Hervey Bay air charter operator in south-east Queensland will sue Mobil oil for compensation, after losing thousands of dollars. Air Fraser Island proprietor Gerry Geltch says he is losing about $5,000 a day and has had to lay off five staff since CASA issued the directive. Mr Geltch says he has no choice but to sue Mobil to survive. "I've spoken to my solicitor this morning [and] we'll probably go it alone - we won't enter into a class action," he said. "We feel it will be more beneficial to us and we're getting all the paperwork and losses together now and up-to-date, and we'll be after compensation for sure." Mobil says it has already started compensating some operators. Farmers hit The body representing Australian crop dusters says aviation authorities need to resolve the contaminated fuel problem within days, to prevent a major economic impact in farming communities nationwide. Phil Hurst from the Aerial Agricultural Association says crop dusters are still unclear about how to clean fuel tanks that have been affected, and the question needs to be anwered quickly. "We're hoping that CASA can deliver what they've said they're going to deliver by the end of this week," he said. "First is to come up with a system to clean the contamination from the aircraft and the second is to verify with confidence if contamination is or isn't present. "Now if they can do those two things say in the next few days, by the end of the week, then okay I think we've been able to manage our way through the crisis." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Independent probe sought into fuel scare From AAP 12jan00 8,30am (AEDT) THE Aircraft Owners and Pilots' Association has said there should be an independent inquiry into the fuel contamination that has grounded thousands of aircraft around Australia. About 5,000 small planes were grounded on Monday after an earlier grounding on Christmas Eve, due to contaminated Mobil aviation fuel. The Federal Government has rejected calls for an inquiry, but Pilots' Association general manager Mike Hart said such a move would have merit. He's told the Nine Network there were indications the contamination occurred spasmodically throughout last year. And he said the "inaction" of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority over the Christmas period should also be examined. Mr Hart said at Sydney's Bankstown Airport about 70 per cent of operators had shut down because they've used Mobil fuel. He said the Association will ask Mobil for compensation. Mobil has already indicated it will pay for repairs to engines and replacement fuel, and also negotiate on losses. But Mr Hart said he is not confident Mobil had told operators everything. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Essential services crippled By NICOLE STRAHAN, RICHARD McGREGOR and ALISON CROSWELLER 12jan00 THE crisis crippling the general aviation industry escalated yesterday, with essential emergency services grounded indefinitely and costs to the industry likely to balloon to $100 million. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Mobil still unable to offer any remedy for contaminants in plane engines are seeking advice from overseas chemists and aviation engineers. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said the cost of grounding 5000 planes, caused by tainted fuel from Mobil's Altona plant near Melbourne, could cost the industry up to $100 million and force some businesses to close. The crisis prompted Acting Prime Minister John Anderson to call on Mobil to urgently convene talks on compensation and to offer his own services as an honest broker between the two camps. "I am urging Mobil to enter into direct negotiations now as to how best to resolve this, and move forward as quickly as possible before any economic damage is done to GA (general aviation) operators," said Mr Anderson, who was in Townsville. Mr Anderson, who is also Transport Minister and leader of the National Party, had discussions with Mobil executives about the fuel problem. He said he did not believe a judicial inquiry was needed. CASA grounded piston-engine planes on Monday after the discovery of previously undetected contaminants in the form of a white or clear substance in fuel tanks. This followed the grounding of about 4000 aircraft across Australia on Christmas Eve when it was found that up to 7 million litres of Mobil fuel was spoilt during production between November 21 and December 23. Victoria's Country Fire Authority said it was unable to carry out crucial fire checks because of the grounded planes, while the Royal Flying Doctor Service was unable to use planes at Essendon and Bankstown airports. With temperatures soaring into the 30s in Victoria this week, the CFA warned it would not have vital planes to fight a serious bushfire. Six of the CFA's 24 standby aircraft have been grounded, including a heat-scanning and fire-mapping aircraft – one of only two of its kind in Australia. Christine Liddy, of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, said although planes had been chartered to replace those affected, the concern now was the growing cost. "That is an issue for us because we are having difficulty planning, since this entire debacle is open-ended," she said. Mobil spokesman Alan Bailey said it was possible water could be used to rid the planes of the contaminants. "The product washes out quite easily in water, but you have to be very careful with water in aircraft engines," he said. CASA director Mick Toller said a test was being developed to detect the contaminants in planes. "It could well take the whole of this week and the cleaning process will be done thereafter," he said. Australasian Jet, which has eight aircraft grounded at Essendon Airport, said its loss of income could reach tens of thousands of dollars by next week. "Certainly it means no income is coming in as those planes sit there and wages are going out as our engineers work to clean them," marketing manager Tim Swain said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From ABC 12/01/00 International experts to investigate aviation fuel crisis The Federal Government is bringing in international experts to help investigations into the contaminated fuel crisis which has grounded 5,000 aircraft across Australia. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the oil company Mobil's manufacture and production of aviation fuel. The bureau's air safety investigation section is conducting a wide ranging investigation, which it says is not limited to accidents and incidents linked to contaminated fuel. It is understood to be also looking at Mobil oil's production and distribution process in the manufacture of avgas, which led to the contaminated fuel problem. The Acting Prime Minister and federal Transport Minister, John Anderson confirms the bureau is to play a vital role. "We are now expanding their role, we're going to ensure they have the suppport from local and if necessary international experts," he said. Mobil, the oil company which distributed the batch of tainted fuel last November, says it will assist in any investigation. Democrats The Australian Democrats are to push for a full Senate inquiry into the fuel contamination crisis. An existing Senate committee will next week question the CASA at a hearing that was scheduled before the crisis began. But the Democrats' aviation spokesman, John Woodley, says a full Senate investigation is also needed. "It's obviously going to need some kind of inquiry that's not going to be controlled by somebody with a vested interest," he said. "I think an independent inquiry by the Government probably would have been the best option but the Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister has ruled it out. "So it seems that a Senate inquiry is the next best option and that's certainly what we need." Accidents The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating two plane accidents in Victoria where it says contaminated aviation fuel may have been a contributing factor. The bureau's deputy director of air safety investigation, Alan Stray, says they have had a number of reports of incidents claiming to be linked to contaminated fuel. "To the best of our knowledge no deaths have resulted from the use of contaminated fuel," he said. "And the accidents that we're looking at have occurred, or the one's that we believe may have been linked to the contaminated fuel have occurred in the Moorabbin area in Victoria." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From USA AvWeb Mobil Could Face Legal Action Over Tainted Aussie Fuel Australian GA Pilots And Businesses Banding Together To Take On Oil Giant Looks like Australian pilots are not going to be satisfied with just an apology from Mobil Oil, which recently distributed bad avfuel in that country and elsewhere down under. The Australian Financial Review, the nation's leading business paper, reports that a Sydney law firm is working toward launching legal action against Mobil Oil on behalf of pilots and GA businesses. AOPA Australia (AOPAA) president Bill Hamilton said, "The GA industry has been confronted with a major quality control failure, which is inflicting tens of millions of dollars worth of damage on users of the Mobil product. AOPAA is advising all piston-engine aircraft pilots not to sign any waivers from Mobil and not to accept payment for the costs of draining and replacing contaminated fuel and to help build up a database that will form the basis for legal recovery of all costs and damages." Spencer Ferrier, a pilot and AOPAA treasurer, has begun collecting evidence for a representative action. Ferrier said the timing couldn't have been worse as many GA operators are in the midst of their busiest season, what is now summer in Australia. He predicts the "calamity ... could force many GA operators, including flying schools and scenic flight companies, out of business." A Mobil spokesperson said, "it would be a matter of weeks" before supplies from their main Australian avfuel refinery return to normal. ............................. and still more from AvWeb USA ............................. $10 Million Losses To Aviation Industries Aftermath Of Floods In Venezuela, Fuel Contamination In Australia The fallout from two recent events continues. Devastating floods along the northern Caribbean coast of Venezuela have cost the country's airlines an estimated $10 million due to airport closures during the last three weeks. And down under, Bill Hamilton, president of AOPA Australia, estimated that the fuel contamination suffered in the Pacific region has already cost the industry at least $10 million. "There are going to be a lot of bankrupt aviation companies," he said -- and the problems may not have been entirely flushed out. Authorities suspect it is harder to get rid of the contamination than was first thought. With a new round of problems stemming from the cleanup, it is likely that Mobil's financial liability will increase as businesses consider how they will recover lost holiday revenue.