RVbySDI
Well Known Member
Speedy recovery
Todd,
I am so glad to hear that you and your daughter are recovering from this incident.
I have discussed many times with my good friend, who has helped me over the years on my build, about the fact that I did not like the fuel lines routing in my 9A. Every time he and I would look at the spiderweb of fuel lines running to the selector valve, fuel filter, boost pump, manifold, pressure sender units and all the 21 fittings I have inside the cockpit I cringe to think what would happen if a leak developed. I am not happy at all with this setup and never have been. This incident just reinforces my dislike for this setup.
I have been thinking for about two years now on what I could change to make my airplane safer in regards to removing fuel from the cockpit. It is something I am going to take seriously and think long and hard on in order to figure out what to do with my setup. All I know is I have never liked this setup. Now we have a first hand account of the fuel in the cockpit creating a build up of vapors that caused an explosion during normal operations. By the grace of God Todd and his daughter were able to walk away from this incident. This catastrophe did not take any lives but it very easily could have.
Todd, I would be very interested in hearing your ideas of what you would like to do to get the fuel lines out of the cockpit. I have thought long and hard on it myself for my airplane but until now I told myself "just get the airplane flying and deal with it afterward". Now I am not so sure I am willing to take that risk.
Todd,
I am so glad to hear that you and your daughter are recovering from this incident.
I have discussed many times with my good friend, who has helped me over the years on my build, about the fact that I did not like the fuel lines routing in my 9A. Every time he and I would look at the spiderweb of fuel lines running to the selector valve, fuel filter, boost pump, manifold, pressure sender units and all the 21 fittings I have inside the cockpit I cringe to think what would happen if a leak developed. I am not happy at all with this setup and never have been. This incident just reinforces my dislike for this setup.
I have been thinking for about two years now on what I could change to make my airplane safer in regards to removing fuel from the cockpit. It is something I am going to take seriously and think long and hard on in order to figure out what to do with my setup. All I know is I have never liked this setup. Now we have a first hand account of the fuel in the cockpit creating a build up of vapors that caused an explosion during normal operations. By the grace of God Todd and his daughter were able to walk away from this incident. This catastrophe did not take any lives but it very easily could have.
Todd, I would be very interested in hearing your ideas of what you would like to do to get the fuel lines out of the cockpit. I have thought long and hard on it myself for my airplane but until now I told myself "just get the airplane flying and deal with it afterward". Now I am not so sure I am willing to take that risk.