umar59•29d agoProlific Poster

That time a Cessna 172 at Santa Monica Airport taught me a hard lesson about fuel caps

Last month I was doing a preflight on a rental 172 out of KSMO and the fuel cap felt a little loose, but I shrugged it off because I was in a hurry. Well, about 20 minutes into the flight the low fuel pressure light came on and I had to turn back immediately. Turns out the cap seal was completely cracked and it was sucking air instead of letting the tank vent properly. Landed with maybe 2 gallons left in one tank and a whole new appreciation for checking those damn caps every single time. Now I twist and listen for the click twice before I sign off on any plane. Anyone else nearly learned this lesson the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace60729d ago

Two gallons? That's terrifying, glad you made it back.

sandraflores29d ago

And always keep a spare in the trunk, learned that one the hard way.

wadem8928d agoMost Upvoted

Two gallons is exactly what I had to pour in last winter when my buddy's truck ran dry on a backroad near Mineral Wells. That little bit of fuel made the difference between getting home by midnight or waiting hours for a tow. It's amazing how fast you go from "I'll be fine" to "I really messed up" when that gauge hits E.