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RV-10 Accident

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.
 
I vote for drain holes that are checked at preflight and no sources of ignition. That's all that's required to avoid this type of accident, so let's don't overthink it.
 
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RVbySDI said:
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.
Click to expand...

I suppose that one of the advantages of my military type cockpit (meaning .... not a lot of upholstery), is that I can see most of the fuel lines, including the point at which they enter the cockpit area from the wing tanks. In my "six", the lines run down the left side, instead of the middle.

I know that any problem downstream of the selector valve can be shutoff with the valve. I also carry some small pliers in the glove box. In a worst case, I can crimp the aluminum line where it enters the cockpit from the wing area. If I ever smell fuel, I certainly be looking. Under normal circumstances, there has never been a fuel oder in my cockpit.

L.Adamson ---- RV6A
 
Coon Hounds

Todd,

I met you at 2J9 several months ago when you delivered a pair of coon hounds to a Gadsden County resident. I took a look at your RV10 and was very impressed with it. I'm a Chevrolet small block fan from way back. I wish I had asked to see the engine. Anyway, the airplane was just beautiful. I'm so sorry it ended life the way it did but I am so happy and thankful to the good Lord that you and your daughter are going to be fine. If there is ever anything I can do to help you, please let me know. I am so happy that you're here to read my offer. Things could have been much worse. Take it easy and heal up. You've got to build another one now.

David Watson
49FD
 
New Thread of discussion of fuel system

In an attempt to head off the thread drift I see looming on the near horizon, I have started a new thread to discuss the fuel systems in our planes, and throw out ideas for changes/upgrades etc.

Please use this thread for the fuel system comments, and keep this one for well wishes/prayers etc, and status reports on Todd and his daughter.

Thanks.
 
Mike S said:
In an attempt to head off the thread drift I see looming on the near horizon, I have started a new thread to discuss the fuel systems in our planes, and throw out ideas for changes/upgrades etc.

Please use this thread for the fuel system comments, and keep this one for well wishes/prayers etc, and status reports on Todd and his daughter.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Mike, feel free to move my post to that thread if you feel it appropriate.
 
Its worth noting that our sense of smell works well at detecting new smells, but poorly at picking up scents that have been present for a while. A small leak sort of sneaks up on our noses and goes undetected. Often we're unaware of an odor until we leave the environment and then return. For this reason, I wouldn't trust my nose except perhaps when I first enter the plane.
 
My fire or should I say explosion was a vapor explosion. It was fast and the majority of the fire was over in five seconds. If I was in full clothing I would have been completely unharmed except for my hands and head. You should see the clothes I was wearing not a thing wrong with them. I mean nothing! The shoes having nothing wrong with them either. The initial flash was where the heat came from and the fire was short lived. I don't know about the halon. I have been in a halon blast and it can be pretty painful on the lungs. I almost bought a Nomex suit at Sun-n-Fun. I will probably buy one and the gloves.
 
Todd, thanks for sharing your story. There are lessons for all of us.

Praying for a speedy recovery for both of you.
 
Incredible.....

Todd,

This event was completely unknown to me until a few minutes ago. I typically ignore reading about accidents on VAF because some people can't resist being the first breathless poster to announce bad news then the discussion that follows has been known to quickly devolve into a tasteless exercise filled with idle speculation and second guessing. But in this unusual case, I noticed a record view count exceeding 22,000 and I had to see what the interest continues to be about. Wow. Yours is an incident well worth reflecting upon. Your first hand account is an extremely valuable lesson all of us can learn from. I am especially heartened your daughter and you escaped an event that could have very easily proved lethal. By extension, your experience not only gives us hope for the seemingly miraculous, but the chances are excellent some unknown beneficiary will survive serious mishap because of the knowledge you have chosen to freely share with us. Thank you. I am sorry for the loss of your airplane yet the health and well-being of your daughter and you is incalculably more desirable. As a builder/pilot, whatever you decide to do as you pick up the pieces and move forward is a real blessing because the capacity for you to make choices continues to remain intact. I'm certain your daughter and you now share an extra special bond that only witnesses and survivors of disaster can ever truly understand. The rest of your lives lay before you. Take care and be well, my friend.
 
Rick6a said:
Todd,

This event was completely unknown to me until a few minutes ago. I typically ignore reading about accidents on VAF because some people can't resist being the first breathless poster to announce bad news then the discussion that follows has been known to quickly devolve into a tasteless exercise filled with idle speculation and second guessing. But in this unusual case, I noticed a record view count exceeding 22,000 and I had to see what the interest continues to be about. Wow. Yours is an incident well worth reflecting upon. Your first hand account is an extremely valuable lesson all of us can learn from. I am especially heartened your daughter and you escaped an event that could have very easily proved lethal. By extension, your experience not only gives us hope for the seemingly miraculous, but the chances are excellent some unknown beneficiary will survive serious mishap because of the knowledge you have chosen to freely share with us. Thank you. I am sorry for the loss of your airplane yet the health and well-being of your daughter and you is incalculably more desirable. As a builder/pilot, whatever you decide to do as you pick up the pieces and move forward is a real blessing because the capacity for you to make choices continues to remain intact. I'm certain your daughter and you now share an extra special bond that only witnesses and survivors of disaster can ever truly understand. The rest of your lives lay before you. Take care and be well, my friend.
Click to expand...
Wow. That gave me chills Rick...very well written, and speaks for all of us, I believe...:cool:
 
Rick6a said:
Todd,

This event was completely unknown to me until a few minutes ago. I typically ignore reading about accidents on VAF because some people can't resist being the first breathless poster to announce bad news then the discussion that follows has been known to quickly devolve into a tasteless exercise filled with idle speculation and second guessing.
Click to expand...

But..................as you probably noticed.......there was no "tasteless exercise filled with idle speculation and second guessing.":) I think everybody just wanted to know how they were doing. I know I did! I read the original post within seconds of when it was published, and it left many questions un-answered. I then kept clicking back, and there were no other reports during the first 20 or so minutes. Not only that, but the counter said only one view. Yet all of the sudden the count was at 87. Therefor, the counter just doesn't react fast enough I suppose. Never the less, I was thrilled that Todd and his daughter got out with minor injuries. I'm sure that speaks for all of us.

L.Adamson
 
I would like to thank Todd for coming forward. It pushed me to take a second look at our soon to be started up RV-10 ( couple weeks?) . I could not believe my eyes, they were definitly going to cause a problem. I take great pride in doing things well , and spend on average two hrs per a day on the web. (mostly here) doing research. I missed two key points in flairing. The first is to use lube on the flairing tip. And second was to smooth the burrs out after flair is completed. Without oil lube, I had to apply so much force on the clamping tool that it was squishing (smaller diameter) the tubing, and would require too much sanding to get the burrs out. With lube oil and the same Imperial flairing tool only a light presure on the clamping tool is needed. Burrs are quickly sanded out.
Todd, thanks again for sharing details of your tragic accident, I'm thrilled you and your dauther will be OK. You have no doubt saved me and my family from experiencing the same faith.
P.S. I'm not saying your problem was caused by fuel line construction, but that it brought fuel line construction to my attention ( at just the last moment to correct before completion of the A/C) and the above methods were published for me to learn from.
Forever greatful
Ron
 
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