AOPA et al. Update Complaint Protesting California 100LL Ban

Mark Phelps

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at 03:07 PM ET

Verified

Credit: General Aviation Modifications, Inc. (GAMI)

Key Takeaways:

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and co-complainants filed a 47-page document with the FAA opposing Santa Clara County's motion to dismiss a two-year-old lawsuit protesting the county's 2022 ban on 100LL fuel at Reid-Hillview Airport.
AOPA argues that the recent introduction of unleaded aviation fuels at local airports is not a comprehensive solution and creates dangerous, fragmented fuel availability for the piston fleet.
The filing highlights safety concerns, citing documented aircraft accidents and misfuelings since the 100LL ban, and questions the safety of mixing different unleaded fuels.
AOPA emphasizes that the continued availability of 100LL is crucial for safety, efficiency, and airport access during the transition to 100-octane unleaded fuels.

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The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and local co-complainants in California issued a 47-page filing last week with the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Aviation Administration against Santa Clara County in California with the goal of re-establishing the availability of 100 low lead (100LL) aviation fuel at Reid-Hillview Airport (KRHV). The new filing asks the FAA to reach a determination “without further delay” to a lawsuit protesting the county’s 2022 “unprecedented” fuel ban on 100 low lead (100LL) aviation fuel at the airport. AOPA General Counsel Justine Harrison told AVweb, “It’s the most recent filing in the ongoing Part 16 airport compliance case that was filed with the FAA over two years ago by AOPA and co-complainants after the County’s 100LL ban at airports. Santa Clara County asked the FAA to dismiss the case in a Motion on November 12, and the Opposition to Motion document was filed in response.”

Regarding the recent availability of GAMI G100UL 100-octane unleaded fuel at Reid-Hillview Airport and the introduction of Swift 94-octane fuel at San Martin Airport (KLID), Harrison wrote that while those measures “are incremental steps forward in the unleaded fuel transition, they are not a comprehensive solution. It is dangerous to create fragmented fuel availability for the piston fleet.”

AOPA and its co-complainants raised procedural and factual issues with the county’s latest legal move—a motion to “further supplement the record” following the announcement of the availability of G100UL at Reid-Hillview. AOPA noted in its most recent filing that since the ban on 100LL took effect on Jan. 1, 2022, “there has been one documented aircraft accident with serious injuries due to ‘fuel starvation’ and two documented misfuelings.” AOPA further cited uncertainty related to whether or not Swift 94UL could be mixed legally and safely with GAMI G100UL.

Harrison’s AOPA filing included: “This is why [the] continued availability of 100LL while 100 octane unleaded fuels become available is vital for safety, efficiency and airport access.”