Microbial Decontamination of Fuel Tanks as a Mechanism of the Motion of an Aircraft through MIRCE Space

The paper addresses the microbial decontamination of fuel tanks as a physical mechanism of the motion of an aircraft through MIRCE Space, in accordance with MIRCE Science1. In cases where microbiological contamination is detected and decontamination needs to be done with biocides, up-to-date instructions in the Aircraft Maintenance Manuals should be followed to ensure that the correct method and dosage is applied. Although in-service problems with this maintenance task are not frequent, the consequences of its incorrect execution could lead to the occurrence of “a serious incident”. The case study analysed in this paper is related to the event of this type that took place at London Gatwick Airport on 26 February 2020. A full understanding of the sequence of actions that led to the occurrence of this negative functionability event is essential for drawing recommendations for the reduction of the probability of human errors during the microbial decontamination process of fuel tanks of an aircraft, some on which are presented in this paper.