See report 'Systemic Investigation into Fuel Contamination'.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that the
American Society for Testing and Materials review standard D910 -
97 in relation to the maximum permissible quantities of undesired
compounds in Avgas, either individually or collectively.
The letter contained three proposed recommendations to ASTM.
These recommendations were discussed at the Subcommittee J meeting
on December 6, 2000. Subcommittee J agreed to the following
replies, which use the same numbers as the original ATSB
letter.
ATSB recommended a review of D 910 in relation to the maximum
permissible quantities of undesirable compounds in Avgas. [name
supplied]'s comments on the report have touched on the difficulties
of setting any limits on presently unknown materials. Furthermore,
any quantitative limits have to be justified by technical reasons
that include an assessment of the effects of the material on engine
or aircraft performance. Subcommittee J already has been addressing
this problem for jet fuels, but to obtain a consensus any solution
has to meet the needs of both producers and users. Once a workable
solution is found, there should be no difficulty in transferring it
to D 910.
Based on the above response you can see that the ATSB
recommendations are receiving serious consideration in ASTM and I
expect Subcommittee J will keep you advised of progress. In that
connection I would recommend that an ATSB representative become an
official non-voting member of the Subcommittee, so that such an
individual would automatically receive all issued documents.
