STATIC FIRES

[N1478D]

My memory is terrible, but it seems like when George has tried to warn of the potential dangers of filling containers with mogas someone used the reasoning that "you never hear about people catching on fire when they are filling their cars", that is not a quote, just a paraphrase Well, last night on the local channel 5 news they had a feature story of people catching on fire while filling their cars. They had a victim who had survived and told his story. They also said it seemed to be a common thread that shoes today had thick soles and alot of the people who had been involved with a static fire while filling their car were wearing these thick soled shoes. Their advice was to touch the car after you got out and before you started using the pump, and not to get back in the car while you were filling up. You should touch the car some distance away from any fumes. They had clips from news helicopters showing cars on fire at the pump. The victim and the news people both said this is becoming a more frequent tragedy. I know the fumes stink more now than they use to , but other than the shoes, they did not say why there would be more occurences. Personaly, I know of one person who almost died from a static fire while he was filling his containers at the station for his plane. Please take precautions and be safety minded.

As a side story, one of my hangar neighbors almost hurt himself while he was trying to make his containers more safe. He saw how I had a bolt attached to a wire that was inside the containers. The theory is that you can touch the pump nozzel to the bolt, and also ground the plane to the bolt while you are pouring in to the plane. He was very excited about the concept and asked for help to make him some. Well, I made up some bolts with wires attached to them for him and drilled the holes in his new containers, but refused to drill the holes in his two used containers. Told him the fuel vapors might explode. He borrowed my drill and just as he bent over and started to drill, I accidently made a very loud noise(something similar to an explosion) right behind him. The distance he was able to achieve vertically from a bent over position was amazing. He also seemed to be able to stay up there for a while, before he started yelling and came back down. Luckily, my portable drill survived but he walked a little different for a short while after that. I had owed him one up till that point, we both feel like I jumped ahead that day.

[JDH]

Joe, there is one thing I don't understand about the advice to touch the car before refueling. What kind of cars are these anyways? No doors? No fuel cap door? No fuel cap??? How can you get to the point of filling up without touching the car once??? Not making fun of this, but what a dumb thing for them to say. I can see it now, people sneaking up to their cars, afraid to get zapped or blownn up... It probably would serve better to say that if you are going to wear those thick gum soled shoes and have to fill up, don't drag your feet, there, sparky!!!
I see guys fill up with un-improved (no grounding) jerry cans all the time; cans sitting atop the wing on a piece of carpet not to scratch the paint. I'm about to start a pool as to who goes up first. They just don't want to hear it, I use a syphon, nothing can happen; well if you want that to be your last words, keep it up, there, sparky... JD

[N1478D]

Joe, there is one thing I don't understand about the advice to touch the car before refueling. What kind of cars are these anyways? No doors? No fuel cap door? No fuel cap??? How can you get to the point of filling up without touching the car once??? Not making fun of this, but what a dumb thing for them to say. I can see it now, people sneaking up to their cars, afraid to get zapped or blownn up... It probably would serve better to say that if you are going to wear those thick gum soled shoes and have to fill up, don't drag your feet, there, sparky!!!
I see guys fill up with un-improved (no grounding) jerry cans all the time; cans sitting atop the wing on a piece of carpet not to scratch the paint. I'm about to start a pool as to who goes up first. They just don't want to hear it, I use a syphon, nothing can happen; well if you want that to be your last words, keep it up, there, sparky... JD

Hi JD, I think what they were advising is to step out of the car and before you approach the pump to touch the car, so as to discharge any static electricity. It was the same news people who are capable of stating that the pilot stalled the engine of the airplane and that is why he fell from the sky . It does seem like you would have to work very hard to not touch the car before you started putting gas in it. Part of the advice from the victim they interviewed was not to hurry. Maybe he jumped out without closing his door and grabbed the nozzel and started squirting gas, I'm not sure

[DHeal]

I beg to differ with the statement that one can't get out of a car without grounding/bonding him/herself to the car. In my two cars, an Odyssey minivan and Miata, I frequently get out of the car and walk around to the other side of the car and get a big static discharge when I touch the car. With all the plastic these days on steering wheels, brake pedals, door handles, synthetic seat coverings. etc., it is entirely possible that the driver is carrying a substantial static charge that differs from the fuel tank opening (i.e., fumes). Old airplanes seem to have more metal parts to touch so there are more opportunites to ground/bond one's self to the airframe before one gets to the fuel opening. My two cents' worth -- David

[GAHorn]

There are so many synthetics these days. Fabrics, seat covers, carpets. My wife's car-body is made of plastic. (Saturn LS-1). In the winter months, the air is dryer, especially on clear days, and more conducive to static discharge. You may notice how common it is to walk up to a friend to shake hands or reach for a door knob and get shocked.
Public fueling stations are supposed to have wire-rope or graphite reinforced hoses to diminish the chances of static discharge. But those devices are defeated by gas cans sitting off the ground in a vehicle. And sliding out of your car from sitting on those vinyl seats and those polyester carpets are simply storing a charge in your body.
It's a hazard that is real. Be careful out there. (And ground your airplane before refueling. By handling the grounding device you are ridding yourself of static charge.)

[dacker]

Something of interest to consider while talking about these accidental static fires. I recall a safety message I read back in my Navy days warning of fueling containers in the back of pickups with the plastic bed liners. It seems the liners themselves can cause quite a bit of static electricity, so if you try to fill a jerry can while it is sitting in the pickup, as I am sure many of us have, you have a great potential for a fire. Solution... take the containers out before fueling!
Safe Flying!
David
9584A