Theories: In the old days, people in winter climates often added
"drygas." But maybe the prime source of water then was leaking
underground storage tanks, all now replaced in the U.S. Auto fuel
tanks now do not vent directly to outside air, but through the
charcoal canister, which is purged by manifold vacuum on startup.
It's possible the phenomenon isn't really a hazard in aircraft. Of
44,000+ NTSB reports online, only 2 contained any form of the word
"condense" in reference to the fuel tank. One quoted the A/C
operating handbook, and another FAA advice, both referring to the
"possibility" of such moisture condensation. But in neither case did
the NTSB say the water contamination was likely from that source.
That's 0/44,000, and you'll get 5 hits looking for "mice" or "mouse"
as a contributing factor in the accident.
The only real distinction I see is the location of the filler caps.
Regards,
Fred F., A063, N3EU
Chris Beck wrote:
>
> This always has me wondering. Why don't our automobiles have gascolators and
> more trouble with water in the fuel? I surely don't drain the tank of my
> Saturn before every commute to work, and change the fuel filter every 30,000
> miles. In 127,000 miles, I've never had so much as a burp to to a fuel
> problem, and I regularly run the tank to empty before filling up. Why are
> aircraft so susceptible to water problems?
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