Boundary Bay’s small aircraft are stuck on the ground after news that some of its fuel has been contaminated.
Boundary Bay is one of six airports in the Lower Mainland that received a delivery of low quality aviation gas (known as avgas)from the Strathcona Refinery near Edmonton. According to Pitt Meadows Regional Airport Manager George Miller, this fuel is used for general aviation — smaller aircraft.
These aircraft are what Pacific Flying Club, a flight school based out of Boundary Bay Airport, use to train pilots. Executive director Clark Duimel said this has caused significant problems for their flight school.
“There is no fuel at Boundary Bay Airport, so we can’t go flying,” he said. “That’s huge.”
Boundary Bay’s avgas has been quarantined because of the contaminated shipment. Duimel said there have been fuel issues in the past at Boundary Bay Airport, but never to this extent.
Although Miller expects that the problem will be resolved later today or tomorrow for Pitt Meadows, Duimel said he heard the problem could continue until Feb. 22.
“For every nice day this time of the year, we can do 75 plus hours” of training, Duimel said. “So it slows everybody’s training down right now. And this isn’t helping the situation with the lack of pilots.”
Imperial issued a press release that it has notified regulators and customers of potential low fuel quality in the avgas shipped from its Strathcona refinery.
“The primary concern is that the product quality issue may cause interference with on-board fuel gauge sensors of aircraft using avgas,” said the press release.
“All shipments of the avgas from Strathcona refinery were promptly stopped as soon as the company became aware of the issue on Feb. 13, 2018. Imperial has also requested that all distributors cease distribution of the product.”
The fuel warning does not extend to planes that use jet fuel.
-with files from Neil Corbett, Maple Ridge News