A pilot carrying out a pre-purchase inspection took a little more time to investigate a potential issue. It may have saved his life.
A friend asked me a few years back if I would carry out a pre-purchase inspection of a Cherokee.
If all was up to expectations, I would then fly it back to our base.
We were both experienced owners of this type of aircraft in the recent past.
The Cherokee had just had its 100-hour annual inspection completed.
All was good and a purchase price was agreed.
At the last moment the seller passed on a message saying there was a small amount of fuel dampness.
He didn’t indicate where it was and stated it was not of any concern.
He also hadn’t mentioned it during or before inspecting the aircraft and we weren’t able to ground run the aircraft because, at that stage, it was blocked in at the back of the hangar.
By this stage the seller had departed. The buyer was also supposed to sit the law component of their PPL that evening, so we had a bit of ‘get-home-itis’.
However, I wasn’t current and really wanted to check out the possible fuel leak issue.
So before I flew the plane home, I completed my circuits, then pulled up to meet the new owner at the pumps.
As I did, my friend made dramatic hand motions to cut the engine.
On inspection, a large flow of fuel was exiting from the engine lower cowl.
We pulled the aircraft to a maintenance facility and, following cooling, removed the top cowl for inspection.
With the electric fuel pump on, an engineer and I received a copious fuel shower.
Tightened by hand
We discovered that the fuel line from the auxiliary fuel pump to the carburettor had been replaced at the 100-hour annual.
Our best guess is the carburettor union nut had been tightened by hand only, resulting in the leak.
After we tightened the nut mechanically, I flew the Cherokee back to base.
I often think about what could have happened if I’d been able to fly straight home before checking the leak issue.
At the top of my list of flying fears would be a fire in flight.
I was perhaps lucky enough to be doing just my circuits, and not on a cross-country, prior to the issue being identified.
I honestly don’t know what the seller knew. I contacted both him and the LAME who’d conducted the 100-hour annual, but I never heard back.
The whole situation has taught me how important it is to double-check everything.
Even if you think it’s not a biggie, it’s just not worth the risk.