Oops! Gas tank fire

This is not an airplane story but took place at a boat yard. A week ago this was a thriving fairly large boatyard in southeast Massachusetts. It is reported that a boatyard crew was replacing a gas tank in a boat when suddenly BOOM. The black smoke was so dense that it was seen on the weather radar. Several buildings, boats and cars were destroyed. One worker went to the hospital and is reported to be recovering.
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Today, a vacant waterfront lot. Notice the trees across the street were burned, yet the house appears to have not been harmed.

I'm posting this here because it could just as easily have been an airplane fuel tank in some hangar buildings. Be careful folks.

The owners of that boatyard are some of my oldest friends.
The fire totally incinerated everything.
A 20 knot onshore breeze, wooden pole barns, and fiberglass made for a fast and hot fire.
The untold story is of the four co workers who went into the burning building to rescue the guy who was working on the boat that exploded. As reported to me they escaped with seconds to spare. A few seconds more and there would have been 5 dead. Today there is one seriously injured. He will recover.

The yard is almost clear of ash, burnt cars etc.

The rebuild to the yard will start soon. The worker is in the burn unit in Rhode Island.


On a side note: when Skywagon8A flys over the boatyard on floats I get a text from the owners asking if that is me overhead.



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I can't get away with anything around here. At least they haven't shown videos of me landing in some of my secret places, yet. Well. I haven't seen the pictures yet. 8)

Here in Idaho, a local businessman died a few years ago from a fire that started while he was fueling his boat on it's trailer at a gas station. That got my attention.

courierguy said:

Here in Idaho, a local businessman died a few years ago from a fire that started while he was fueling his boat on it's trailer at a gas station. That got my attention.

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Was the boat fiberglass or aluminum? Guys fill up like that all the time here on the Snake. Mostly aluminum jet boats.


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If memory serves me right, I'd say glass, as there was a lot of real black smoke, can't say for sure but most likely.

skywagon8a said:

I'm posting this here because it could just as easily have been an airplane fuel tank in some hangar buildings. Be careful folks.

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A couple of years ago a mechanic was de-fueling a plane in a hangar at our local airport. The wind was blowing 30 to 40 mph and the relative humidity was very low...think lots of static electricity. He used a rag that must of had some nylon in it to wipe up some spilled fuel on the wing. A spark jumped and ignited the fuel. The hangar was on the upwind end of along line of adjoined T hangars. I think it burned two hangars before the fire department stopped it at the first fire wall...covered with sheet rock. The only thing left that looked like airplane parts was the engines. I counted six engines.

Mot said:

A couple of years ago a mechanic was de-fueling a plane in a hangar at our local airport. The wind was blowing 30 to 40 mph and the relative humidity was very low...think lots of static electricity. He used a rag that must of had some nylon in it to wipe up some spilled fuel on the wing. A spark jumped and ignited the fuel. The hangar was on the upwind end of along line of adjoined T hangars. I think it burned two hangars before the fire department stopped it at the first fire wall...covered with sheet rock. The only thing left that looked like airplane parts was the engines. I counted six engines.

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Remember, anytime you drain fuel it needs to be connected between the full tank and the container receiving the fuel. Never let it free fall into a container or funnel
Everyone of my quick drains has a barbed male end to accept a hose
This type


Glenn