Cleveland gets fuel warning at airport

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- A local pilot and member of the city Airport Authority warned the City Council on Monday that hit-and-miss fuel supplies and questions about the purity of fuel for sale are sending fliers to other regional airports.

LeRoy Rymer Jr. said he other Airport Authority members discussed the problem Friday. The problem is a malfunctioning pump that allows aviation fuel sales. It was thought to have been repaired but went down again over the weekend, Mr. Rymer said.

"I pumped fuel into an aircraft Saturday and right after that we got a lot of gunk out of the filter," he said.

The sediment is in the filter system, he said.

After a Monday morning flight, "what looked like rust and stuff" was coming out of the filtering system, Mr. Rymer said. He also found water and mildew in the system, he said.

The issue of fuel being available is frustrating pilots, Mr. Rymer said.

"Pilots in this area have no confidence in the fuel here at the airport," he said. "I'm not going to buy fuel out there until I know it's OK."

City officials say the fuel tank was cleaned after earlier reports of sediment.

The contract operator, Crystal Air, brought a fuel truck from Dalton, Ga., to supply fuel. The city is paying to have the truck available, according to City Manager Janice Casteel.

A maintenance crew was working on the pump motor again Monday, said Public Works Director Tommy Myers.

"Hopefully, we will have it fixed by the end of the week, hopefully by the end of the day," Mr. Myers said Monday.

Councilman Avery Johnson asked the city staff if the fuel tank might have been tampered with.

But city staffers say there is no evidence of vandalism.