Mobil News Release Tuesday 18 January 2000 3:00pm Mobil Provides Financial Hardship Support for Avgas Customers Melbourne 18 January 2000, 3:00pm Mobil Oil Australia today announced that it is establishing a $15 million program to provide financial hardship support to its aviation customers whose businesses have been affected by the avgas contamination issue and the subsequent CASA Airworthiness Directives. Mobil will manage the program with the assistance of a firm with extensive experience in claims administration. Independent auditors will be involved throughout the process. "The safety of our aviation customers has always been paramount," said Paul Wherry, Director Fuels Marketing. "Mobil has been working very hard in conjunction with CASA and the Australian Government to resolve the problem and get our customers safely back into the air. However, it has become apparent that this process will take some time and our immediate priority is to handle the urgent hardship needs of our aviation customers." Mobil avgas customers, and their employees, who face immediate financial hardship due directly to being unable to operate their aircraft may submit claims to Mobil. Claims of up to $10,000 per aircraft affected by CASA Directives AD/General/77 or AD/General/78 will be considered to meet customers' urgent financial needs. While Mobil will require substantiation of customers' claims, and payments made for hardship support will be offset against any further claims which may be made, it is Mobil's intention to keep the process as simple and efficient as possible. In addition, Mobil will be establishing a further program for its aviation customers to address their direct business losses resulting from the avgas issue. This program is now being finalised and details will be made available as soon as possible. "While questions of liability are still to be resolved, we believe that the programs announced today will assist all our customers in meeting their near term financial need and will support the successful continuation of their businesses," said Paul Wherry. The programs announced today and the payments of claims under them, are not an admission of liability by Mobil. Details of how to file and progress claims will be provided as a matter of urgency through Mobil aviation agents and distributors, our website (www.mobil.com.au) and the Mobil Aviation Customer Help Line. E N D S For further information, please contact Alan Bailey on 03 9252 3375. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the ABC Tue, Jan 18 2000 Mobil announces $15m fuel crisis compo deal Mobil has announced a $15 million compensation package for its customers affected by the fuel contamination crisis. The company says claims of up to $10,000 can be made under its financial hardship program, and some fuel-testing kits will also be distributed. Mobil says it is not an admission of liability, but a way of helping its customers who need immediate financial aid as a result of the crisis. Transport Minister John Anderson has welcomed Mobil offer of $15 million in compensation for fuel contamination. Trevor Bormann reports. The company says it is working on a further assistance program, with details to be released soon. It says the first payments should be made as early as next week. Positive reaction The Acting Prime Minister John Anderson says he is pleased Mobil has decided to establish the support fund. "I think that Mobil have unquestionably done the right thing and it's a $15 million package, " he said. "They'll begin negotiating with the industry about its application and I think it will go a long way towards alleviating the difficulty being experienced by operators." Mobil announces $15m aid package for grounded aviation industry. Mark Willacy reports.(ASF) Acting Prime Minister John Anderson was relieved by the announcement.(ASF) Lisa McGregor reports on who monitors fuel quality.(ASF) Shadow Transport Minister Martin Furgosun tells Matt Peacock that it is time banks pulled the chocks away.(ASF) Mr Anderson says people who accept the package will not lose their legal rights. "I believe it fits the bill...and I'm glad it's in place," he said. "Will Mobil give the money on condition that the victims waive their legal rights? "No, my understanding is that entering into agreements which evolve from negotiations will not void people's legal rights." The Federal Opposition has stepped up pressure on financial institutions to follow Mobil's lead and help operators affected by the fuel contamination crisis. Shadow Transport Minister Martin Ferguson says it is time the banks also pitched in to help operators. "One bank has come to the party and a lot of other banks can...in respect of how to work out how they facilitate mortgage payments and, in essence, basically operate on a sympathetic basis that this is part of their return for historic support from regional Australia," he said. "I think it's about good business, it's about investing in people and these people as customers for the future." The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has welcomed news of Mobil's relief fund and consideration of compensation packages. The association's president, Bill Hamilton, says it is too early to assess accurately the full extent of the compensation required, but the funding announced today should help those in immediate need. The solicitors representing Mobil customers affected by the fuel contamination in a class-action filed this week describe the compensation package as "promising". Solicitor Simon Liddy says it is too early to put a figure on the amount of money lost by the industry because of the contaminated fuel. "Well, the action remains on-foot. I think the court will be interested to see what's offered to people and at this stage we don't have enough detail for comment on it, but certainly it's a good step in the right direction, I think," he said. Kits Information kits are being prepared to instruct thousands of aircraft engineers on how to test and clear planes which have been grounded by the aviation fuel contamination. A standard test for contamination could be approved tonight. Independent chemist David Trimm is tonight due to release an interim report on the fuel test which, if approved, could allow the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to lift its grounding order. CASA spokesman Peter Gibson says it will take some time for uncontaminated planes to be cleared to fly. "We are looking at many days, if not well into next week and the week after, before all 5,000 aircraft are going to be tested," he said. CASA says planes with contaminated fuel will take even longer to be cleaned. Pilots compensation The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has written to Mr Anderson and Mobil arguing that pilots are being left out of compensation proposals over the contaminated fuel crisis. The union's New South Wales secretary, Tony Sheldon, says the TWU has offered to help pilots secure their entitlements and compensation for loss of income. "Compensation, well deserved, to companies has been proposed but to the actual pilots in the workforce themselves are being left out in the cold," he said. "Even with what appears to be the proposed new CASA overview of the planes to see which ones can fly, they'll only be able to do about 50 a day. "That means a lot of pilots, a lot of ground staff are going to be without pay." Class action A Sydney law firm has lodged documents to begin a class action on behalf of an aviation industry operator who is seeking compensation over the avgas contamination. Ebsworth and Ebsworth says the papers were filed with the Federal Court in Sydney yesterday. Partner Simon Liddy says other aviation operators are expected to formally join the proceedings. He says all those who have been affected by the avgas crisis will be automatically included in the proceedings. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From AvWeb News Wire (USA) updated Monday, January 17, 2000 Australian Owners' Woes Worsen As Banks Begin Restructuring Loans... Any government official in the U.S. who doesn't realize how important general aviation and small planes are to a country's economy need look no further than Australia. For every week the 5,000-plane piston fleet is grounded, the Australian aviation industry loses $12 million. But it's not just the airports, FBOs, and aircraft owners that are affected. Take, for example, the tuna fishing industry. Tuna fishermen in Merimbula are seeing losses of up to $60,000 per day because the spotter planes that locate and lead them to migrating schools of tuna are grounded. The fishing industry is simply the latest in a long list of businesses impacted by the Mobil fuel contamination crisis. Last week, The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) established an emergency rescue program for affected aircraft operators, offering loan restructuring without the normal fees, the postponement of credit card installments, and emergency credit limit increases. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has announced it will also waive certain charges, extend the due dates for others, and not charge interest on outstanding accounts for companies affected by the contamination. AOPA-Australia, meanwhile, is leveling some harsh words at both Mobil and the Australian government. Association General Manager Mark Barnett says both CASA and Mobil were in "holiday mode" when the extent of the contamination became apparent just before Christmas, and he attacked acting Prime Minister John Anderson for "fence sitting." Barnett charges both CASA and Mobil effectively did nothing until after Christmas. "They just washed their hands of it," he said. ...Mobil Works On Perfecting A Test Exacerbating the problem is the fact there is no sure way to tell if fuel is contaminated or not, although this past Friday, Mobil said it was close to perfecting such a test. The culprit causing the problems is a chemical called Ethylene Di-Amine (EDA), which first got into fuel in November at Mobil's Altona refinery. EDA is soluble in water and acids and appears to cling to the side of fuel tanks, where it is released by water drops in the fuel. Once released, it corrodes engine fuel system parts made of copper alloys and forms a black sludge that can block other parts of the engine. Amine doesn't stop there, however. It can also form a clear or white jelly through reaction with the carbon dioxide in the water that can block fuel system parts. In one instance, a Lycoming representative was unable to drain aircraft fuel tanks because the drains were completely clogged by the white jelly. Bureau of Air Safety Investigations officers are trying to determine if a late-week crash was caused by fuel contamination. A Cessna 210 crashed after engine failure at the Broken Hill, Australia, airport. Luckily, no one was injured. Meanwhile, New Zealand, which is also on full-scale alert, reports there have been no definite reports of contamination. Mobil, despite a building crescendo of angry voices, is declining comment on any possible compensation payouts to airports or aircraft operators. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the ABC Wed, 19 Jan 2000 Aircraft to remain grounded despite contamination test Around 5,000 light aircraft will remain grounded for up to another week because of the fuel contamination crisis. While a field test, devised by Mobil, has gained the approval of chemist David Trimm who last night released an interim report to the Civil Aviation Safety Authoirty, there are still problems with identifying contaminants. A CASA spokesman says the test was unable to identify a white gel-like substance in the fuel tanks. He says planes will remain grounded until further tests are conducted over the next week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mobil Wednesday 19 January 2000 7:30am Avgas Bulletin 9 - Mobil Financial Hardship Support Program - Overview MOBIL FINANCIAL HARDSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAM AN OVERVIEW 18 January 2000 Mobil has established a $15 million program to provide financial hardship support to its aviation customers whose businesses have been affected by the aviation gasoline (avgas) contamination issue, and CASA Airworthiness Directives 77 and 78. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR MOBIL'S FINANCIAL HARDSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAM? CLASS A - AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND OPERATORS · Aircraft owners and operators who have purchased Mobil avgas and who have grounded aircraft due to CASA Directives resulting from suspect avgas, and who cannot meet unavoidable. non-deferrable financial commitments that are related to earning income from those aircraft. Financial commitments may include: aircraft lease payments; other aircraft fixed overheads; wages of pilots or ground staff. CLASS B - EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS OF MOBIL AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND OPERATORS · Employees and closely held contractors of Mobil aircraft owners or operators who suffer reduced income as a direct result of the aircraft being grounded due to CASA Directives resulting from suspect avgas, and cannot meet non-deferrable personal financial commitments. · Contractors who have provided services directly related to the refuelling or maintenance of aircraft for Mobil aircraft owners or operators at airports, and who are now unable to provide those services as a direct result of the aircraft being grounded due to CASA Directives resulting from suspect avgas, and cannot meet non-deferrable financial commitments. · Employees or contractors who have received relief via a Mobil aircraft owner or operator under Class A will not be eligible. CLASS C - AIRCRAFT CHARTERERS · Commercial charterers of aircraft who have an existing arrangement with a Mobil aircraft owner or operator for the recurring use of aircraft and suffer substantial loss, and who have not been able to use the aircraft as a direct result of the aircraft being grounded due to the CASA Directives resulting from suspect avgas, and cannot meet non-deferrable financial commitments. HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK? · The fund is available immediately to affected Mobil aviation customers. Mobil expects to have payment to customers within five working days of receipt of complete and fully documented applications. · Mobil will manage the program with the assistance of a firm with extensive claims administration experience. Independent auditors will be involved throughout the process. · Claims of up $10,000 per aircraft will be considered where they are intended to meet customers' urgent financial needs. · Any payments made for hardship support will be offset against any further claims that may be made. The establishment of this hardship support program, the payment of any claims under it, or any further compensation program, are not an admission of liability by Mobil. APPLICATION PROCESS Claimants are required to submit reasonable documentation to substantiate the claim, which would include sufficient of the following: · proof that they rely on relevant aircraft for primary income. This includes registration documents, charter agreements or equivalent. · proof that the aircraft was grounded due to potential avgas contamination. This could be in the form of a customer number, fuel receipt, or written confirmation by an agent. · details of the period during which relevant aircraft was grounded, supported by extracts from the owner/operator's log. · independent record of income relating to aircraft operation. This might be last year's tax return (1998/99), a group certificate or wages sheet, or a statement of income certified by a registered CPA or equivalent. · copies of an aircraft or pilot's log book to establish probable aircraft usage during the claimed period of loss. · details of any supplementary income, insurance recovery or other payment that claimants expect to receive as a result of the avgas contamination problem. · completed claim form, including details to substantiate that income was lost, receipts for relevant expenses, and details of any actions taken to reduce the financial hardship. Application forms will be available from Mobil's Internet site and can be submitted electronically (with supporting documentation sent by mail). Claim forms can also be obtained via Mobil's aviation customer help line on 1800 339 122. FURTHER PROGRAM · Mobil will be establishing a further program for its aviation customers to address their direct business losses resulting from the avgas issue. The program is now being finalised and details will be released as soon as possible. -ends- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mobil Wednesday 19 January 2000 13:10 hours (EAST) Avgas Bulletin 10 (Replacing Avgas Bulletin 7) Agent/Customer Notice 1310 HRS January 19, 2000 RE:- QUARANTINE RELEASE/QUARANTINE IMPOSED Mobil advises that BULK Avgas 100/130 and Avgas 100 LL, at the following locations, has been cleared of quarantine and fuelling of aircraft may commence at the time stated (EAST = Eastern Australian Summer Time). Buelak (Quickair) - 1415 hours on January 18, 2000 Buelah (Buelah Aero Club) - 1415 hours on January 18, 2000 Kingaroy - 1415 hours on January 18, 2000 Whittingham - 1415 hours on January 18, 2000 Goulburn - 1415 hours on January 18, 2000 Scone - 1415 hours on January 18, 2000 Glen Innes - 1415 hours on January 18, 2000 Warracknabeal (Aero Club) - 1600 hours on January 18, 2000 Maryborough (Rootes Vic) - 1600 hours on January 18, 2000 Maryborough (Central Vic) - 1600 hours on January 18, 2000 Naracoorte (Aero Club Facility Only) - 1600 hours on January 18, 2000 The following airports, released from quarantine in Avgas Bulletin 7 dated January 13, 2000 (at 1000 hours) have now been placed back under quarantine with effect from 1500 hours on January 18, 2000. THIS QUARANTINE REMAINS IN PLACE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Moorabbin Tyabb Bankstown Hervey Bay Narrabi Krui Albury Goondiwindi Torquay (Torqair) Mildura Maryborough (Qld) Barwon Heads Moura Colac Altair Colac Aero Club Mascot G.A. [END AVGAS BULLETIN 10] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Press Conference transcript - 19 January 2000 Press Conference with Mick Toller MICK TOLLER: Good morning everybody. Basically we've got a test and we've got a mystery. We've made significant progress through Professor Trimm's independent analysis of the test for the Ethylene di-amine in the fuel, and I think that it's safe to say that basically that's an excellent test for checking aircraft which has been decontaminated after they've been cleaned, and it gives us all the necessary indicators to say which aircraft should be cleaned. So we have come a long way on the test. It wouldn't have been ready to be released today anyway, according to Professor Trimm, there were a few other things that needed tidying up. We're going ahead on the basis that that test will need to be used. We have produced yesterday afternoon a training video. We are rewriting the text of the instructions because they need to be tidied up. And we're looking at issues like can we set up maybe a dozen particular testing centres through the country which we will be able to use to identify aircraft that are contaminated. So there was still a few things that needed to be done to the test, and we're working hard on those. The complication that we found yesterday was that some of the white gel that we had been finding in tanks was not a carbonmate of EDA, it was not a result of the process. Some of it was but we do have a test for that. What we don't know is what the second white gel is. We don't know whether it's significant, we don't know whether it's part of the process. Until we have isolated it, and then checked it, then we cannot, in Professor Trimm's view, and I think quite rightly, say we are safe to go. Obviously today we're on a big hunt for as much white gel as we can find. That's going to a number of laboratories through Australia to be tested, and we'll leave Professor Trimm to come back to us as quickly as he can, with an indication of what that white gel is and what its effect is. It may be something that we've got to take into account and therefore need to be able to test for or it may be totally irrelevant. That is what we obviously all hope, and then we're ready to roll effectively with all the tests that we have got. So that's the position on the test. We're saying middle of next week, but obviously everybody is working flat out on this, including Professor Trimm, and we will get answers as quickly as we possibly can. QUESTION: So what does this mean for aircraft operators? MICK TOLLER: It means that there is still no test, so for the time being they're still unfortunately going to have to sit on their hands. Now, I think the second point that I really wanted to make strongly today is no home cures. There's a lot of growing frustration out there in the industry. I think that's understandable. You know, there's been anger obviously at Mobil. There will be anger at CASA. People will say: "Why isn't CASA doing more?" But we have to make sure that what we do allows aircraft not only to go back in the air safely but that we know what the implications of it are over a period of time. Therefore, any decontamination process, any cleaning process that we use on the aircraft, has to be a controlled one, it has to be one that we understand, and it has to be one that we know the effects of. There's a great temptation out there, I think, and certainly a growing temptation, to get the garden hose out and to wash the system out. And I think that's a dangerous process to go through at this stage. I think that it could lead to significant problems later on, and it would not be approved by the authority. We will put out an approved process for decontaminating aircraft that have been contaminated as soon as we can. Now, there's one other complication here. Aircraft that carry fare-paying passengers are maintained to a higher standard than aircraft that do not carry fare-paying passengers. The requirements for aircraft that carry fare-paying passengers in regular public transport say that the process must be approved by the aircraft manufacturer or by a design engineer. We have not yet got the approval from any aircraft manufacturers for any process that washes tanks with water. Until we do so, no aircraft that carries fare-paying passengers will have a valid allowable decontamination procedure. We're ensuring that the manufacturers are fully briefed, we're telling them what we're doing. We have been doing that literally from the first hour - this is certainly the bigger manufacturers of light aircraft, the Cessna, Piper, Ratheyon, and Beech. But until we get to a stage where they say: "We don't object", then we have an ongoing problem with fare-paying passenger aircraft. I want to flag that now. I think it's important that everybody understands that, but I think it's also important because it ties in with the "no home cure" situation, because for any aircraft that is going to carry fare-paying passengers, that makes the "no home cure" side of it even more important. QUESTION: So with the delay that you're now looking forward to, what does that do to the sort of estimate of the cost to the industry? MICK TOLLER: Well, I think in terms of the cost of the decontamination procedure and the tests, that's a constant, that won't change obviously, but the cost to the industry by staying on the ground obviously is growing per day. I don't have a feel for exactly how much that is, but I know that the industry is hurting. It obviously wants to be back in the air as quickly as it possibly can, and we all along have been very understanding of that position. There are two sides to this story, if you like. There is industry viability, but there is safety. My job is the safety side. My job is to ensure that when aircraft do go back in the air, they are safe to fly. QUESTION: Has Mobil made a fair offer of compensation and is it justified for them to refuse to admit liability at this stage based on what you know about the problem? MICK TOLLER: I think that's really outside my sphere of knowledge. I don't know whether the amount of money they've offered is correct, and I certainly wouldn't want to get even on the record for one second about liability issues. Leave the lawyers to that. QUESTION: Well, is Mobil tied in to the testing process in any way, and have they offered any explanation of what the white goo might be? MICK TOLLER: Yes, we certainly know Mobil obviously have been involved in developing the test, and they identified a white substance as the carbonmate, the reaction between the EDA and carbon dioxide when the two come into contact with air. QUESTION: What is the name of the contamimant? MICK TOLLER: Ethylene di-amine is the technical name. QUESTION: You say that there has been developments in the test. One of the problems for many of the operators was that they didn't know whether their systems were contaminated. Are you now saying that this test will shortly be able to at least tell them whether their aircraft are contaminated? MICK TOLLER: We believe that the test gives valid indicators as to whether you should have to undertake a decontamination procedure. In other words, it's a pretty good indicator to say, "Go and clean that aeroplane." It's a particularly good test for saying after you clean an aeroplane, that it is clear. At this stage we're not saying whether we believe all aircraft should be cleaned or whether we're saying under these circumstances, having done the test first, these aircraft can be exempt from cleaning. That's certainly what we would like to do, but I don't think we're in a position to say that yet. QUESTION: Have you got any clearer idea now of how the contamination came about and has it ever happened overseas? MICK TOLLER: To our knowledge there are no precedents whatsoever for this situation, it is a world first. We know the changes in the refining process at Mobil that naturally lead to the problems that we're seeing now. Importantly, Professor Trimm has confirmed that this is a problem with EDA. There is no record that I know of, certainly in the recent past, of a problem with EDA of this magnitude or of this type, although we are aware of one with jet fuel back in the late 1950s, but it doesn't appear to have any bearing on what's happening today. QUESTION: So how sobering do you think it is that Professor Trimm has said, no, that you need more time, you need to establish what the white substance is, given that there was something of a feeling yesterday, and at least promotional videos being made and material put together, that you were on the right track? MICK TOLLER: I think we still are on the right track. Let's not pretend that we've been thrown completely. There is just one element there that we didn't expect, if you like, which is the fact that there is a white substance. It's the white substance that we're not sure about, and that until we know what it is, we don't know how to react to it. QUESTION: It's just that if Professor Trimm hadn't been there, you would have gone ahead though, wouldn't you? MICK TOLLER: And that's the important thing about having an independent validation to find out the sort of thing that Professor Trimm had found out. We don't have the expertise as an authority. We're not petro-chemists, Mobil are, but it's not acceptable to just take Mobil's word for this. I think it's very important that we always get that second validation At the moment we're on a hunt today for white gel. We're looking all over Bankstown, Moorabbin for evidence of any white gel. That white gel will go to three different laboratories. It will go to Mobil, it will go to Professor Trimm and it will also go to the independent laboratory that is being used by the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau. QUESTION: So this was caused by changes in a refining process by Mobil? MICK TOLLER: I think we have it fairly safely on record now that there was a known change to the refining process as a result of, we believe, a failure of equipment at the Altona refinery at the end of November. The end result of the change in that process was this contaminant in the fuel after it was delivered. QUESTION: And have they stopped refining now? Are they reviewing the process? MICK TOLLER: The second that the contamination was discovered, Mobil stopped refining fuel. They will not refine fuel again using that process. QUESTION: Professor Trimm said this morning though that he found that this fuel did meet the current standards and regulations. Does that say to you that there may need to be a change in the long-term process for these regulations if fuel like this can meet the standard but not be air-worthy? MICK TOLLER: I think that's a very good question. The sort of level of contamination that was found in the fuel that was delivered was about 2.5 parts per million. Professor Trimm says even if you put 30 parts per million in, the testing for normal fuel specifications that is done ­ and that is a world specification ­ would not find this out. What we're dealing with here is something for which there effectively is no simple test, and no normal refinery test anywhere in the world would have discovered this fuel before delivery. Whether that says you should review the specifications or not, I think we have to leave to the petro-chemical experts. QUESTION: Ruling out what you call a home cure, you're probably aware that Yanda Airlines are calling for the right to be able to decontaminate its planes itself. What's wrong with putting it out to the industry to see what it comes up with? It may, for instance, develop something better than you would. MICK TOLLER: Industry certainly can and should be giving us all of its ideas about how to solve the problem. There is a meeting going on today which has brought together the top design engineers in Australia who will be discussing the procedures with the Authority. If anybody in the industry has a procedure which is known to decontaminate the aeroplane effectively and puts it forward to us, then we would look to approve it. But I think the chances are that the procedure that we're working on at the moment is sufficiently simple for simple aircraft, that it will provide all the answers for industry. The danger with the home cure procedures, by doing it first, is that you will miss some things that are important that will come out later. Yanda and all airlines that carry passengers are in a position where they've got a higher duty of care for the safety of their fare-paying passengers. If they go ahead with procedures that are not approved, then effectively they are giving us a future safety problem that I believe is unacceptable. QUESTION: Do you have many reports of operators doing their own fixes? MICK TOLLER: Not a lot, but I just want to stamp it out. I think, you know, as I said earlier, the frustration is growing. It's totally understandable. You know, every time that they think, "We might be able to get back in the air," there seems to be something else that comes out of the woodwork, some other mystery that comes. So with the growing frustration, I think there is a higher risk that people will take that approach, and I want to get out the warning not to attempt any cleaning now. It's not worth it. QUESTION: Are there operators who carry passengers doing it? MICK TOLLER: Well, I don't know of anybody that has done it up 'til now, but I'm hearing people saying, "Hey, look, you know, if you don't do something in the next day or two, this is what we're going to do". And I just want to say, please don't. QUESTION: If it's so difficult to test for this problem, could it be possible in other places overseas that fuel is coming out that is contaminated that you don't know about yet? MICK TOLLER: Well, you have to remember that we're seeing effects of this contaminant. If you were having this contaminant anywhere else in the world, you'd also be seeing those effects. This is the first time we have seen this sort of problem anywhere in the world. We're talking about a problem of a magnitude which nobody else has ever faced in general aviation, I believe the number of aircraft that have been grounded and the length of time for which they've been grounded. QUESTION: Certainly. But if it's a simple failure of equipment in a refinery, then it is surprising that it's never happened before and it'd be surprising if it happened again. I'm just wondering if there's a warning here for international community? MICK TOLLER: Yes. I think that one of the questions that has to be asked ­ and it's certainly not our role to ask it ­ but one of the questions has to be asked of the refining industry is: "How are your processes checked?" "What do you do to ensure that you understand the ramifications of every change of process?" Now, my understanding is that they should be doing that. Whether Mobil did in this case, whether they did it and got the wrong answers, I don't know. QUESTION: Is it possible that these white substances are completely harmless? MICK TOLLER: It certainly is. But we don't know what it is. I'm desperately hoping that at the end of the day it's something completely innocuous. Until Mobil and Professor Trimm can say what it is and whether it has an effect or not, whether it can be tested for or not, that we have to stay very cautious on this. The problem with this white gunk is it's got a high surface area, which means that it does attract other chemicals to it, if you like, and it's very easy for other chemicals to stay on it because of its high surface area. QUESTION: Do you know what the white gunk is actually doing to the fuel system? MICK TOLLER: No. Until we know what it is, we don't know what it does, no. Thanks everybody. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the ABC Aircraft owners told to stay on the ground The World Today - Wednesday, January 19, 2000 12:22 COMPERE: The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is warning aircraft operators in general aviation not to resort to homemade cures to get their planes back in the air. CASA concedes there is increased frustration throughout the industry following last night's announcement that planes will be grounded for at least another week, that announcement coming from Mobil. Independent expert, Professor David Trimm, ruled last night that more work needs to be done to develop the test to detect fuel contamination in the Mobil fuel. Sally Sara in Canberra: SALLY SARA: Today was supposed to be the day of good news, but instead it's more of the same. The fuel contamination crisis is set to stagger for at least another week. That's how long it's expected to take before an acceptable test is ready for use on aircraft. In the meantime, Mick Toller, Director of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, is calling for patience. He's urging aircraft operators not to use home-made methods to get their planes back in the sky. MICK TOLLER: There's a great temptation out there, I think, and certainly a growing temptation, to get the garden hose out and to wash the system out. And I think that that's a dangerous process to go through at this stage. I think that it could lead to significant problems later on, and it would not be approved by the Authority. SALLY SARA: At the moment there's no official alternative on offer. Mobil and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority still don't fully understand exactly what they've found in aircraft tanks. They have identified a black substance which is called EDA, but there are white substances which remain unknown. Mick Toller from CASA says as many samples as possible are needed to turn the puzzle around: MICK TOLLER: Basically we've got a test and we've got a mystery. Obviously today we're on a big hunt for as much white stuff as we can find, and that's going to a number of laboratories through Australia to be tested, and we'll leave Professor Trimm to come back to us as quickly as he can, with an indication of what that white stuff is and what its effect is. It may be something that we've got to take into account and therefore need to be able to test for, or it may be totally irrelevant, which is what we obviously all hope, and then we're ready to roll effectively with all the tests that we have got. SALLY SARA: Professor David Trimm is the independent expert called in to guide the investigation. He's internationally renowned and normally based at the University of New South Wales. It was his advice delivered last night which forced a rethink. He's urged the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Mobil to undertake more work before a test is ready for use on aircraft. But Professor Trimm says it was not an easy judgment to make. DAVID TRIMM: Well, it's obviously very disappointing for both the oil industry and the pilots. SALLY SARA: How long do you think it will take to come up with a workable solution? DAVID TRIMM: There appears to be two types of deposit. The second deposit which has been reported is a white deposit. I actually haven't seen any of that yet, and we are literally not sure what is in it. SALLY SARA: What do you think of the way that Mobil has handled its end of trying to come up with some sort of a solution to this issue? DAVID TRIMM: I think they have done a good job. I would emphasise that the original Avgas that they delivered met the relevant tests. In hindsight, those tests weren't accurate enough, but the Avgas that was supplied met every available test on the market. SALLY SARA: What would your message be then to pilots who are interested in trying to get a sense of how you see the next week ahead? DAVID TRIMM: I'm afraid I just don't know when I'm going to get the samples of white material. I just don't know whether it's part of the problem, totally separate or what it is. I won't know until we can get analysis of material that comes out of the aircraft tanks as it comes out. SALLY SARA: For an industry which is already under severe financial distress, there is little comfort. Bill Hamilton from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says the uncertainty is becoming difficult to bear. BILL HAMILTON: The very thought that it's yet another week is really - it's hard to describe the feeling at Bankstown this morning. SALLY SARA: Well, the fact that it may well be another week's wait yet, how much pressure is that putting on your organisation to become involved in the class action or to begin some legal action of your own? BILL HAMILTON: Very, very great pressure, of course. Our preferred option still is - we believe Mobil's moving in the direction of negotiated settlements, because that, quite honestly, will produce better results quicker if Mobil are so disposed. COMPERE: Bill Hamilton of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and we can detect the frustration there with the ongoing problem. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------