Drunk man accused of stealing jet fuel

by poolparty | July 30, 2008 at 12:17 pm

1032 views | 4 Recommendations | 10 comments

I’ve got to give this drunk props for his creativity. A man decided to break into a small airport in San Jose, CA and tried filling his car up with jet fuel. His logic in thinking was since it’s used for racing cars that his car would go faster. What he didn’t know is that jet fuel is so heavily leaded that it will warp the valves of normal cars.

A man somehow got through the locked gates at Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose on Sunday night and started refueling his car at the self-serve pumps when San Jose police showed up.

There were three problems: One, the driver was not authorized to use the pump or its 40-foot hose. Two, he was drunk, according to police who arrested him on suspicion of DUI and attempted theft. And three, he was filling his tank with fuel formulated for airplanes.

"We've had people try and steal gas here in the past," said Jim Meide, who works in operations at the county-run facility. "It's really stupid. Put aviation gas in your car and it's so heavily leaded that eventually your valves warp and you'll end up with some very expensive repairs."

Police arrested Justin Rodebush, 20, about 8:30 p.m. Sunday night but wouldn't provide any more information Monday about the suspect or possible motives. Probably wasn't to save money, said Meide, pointing out that avgas, the aviation fuel in the pumps used for aircraft and race cars, goes for $5.97 a gallon, accessed by a credit card.

"Sometimes," he said, "these people have the notion that since it's racing fuel it'll make their car go faster."

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JeffHuang

at 12:25 on July 30th, 2008

This story is hilarious. I would never think the car would go faster, but I had no idea that jet fuel is heavily leaded.

Daryl Davis

at 14:24 on July 30th, 2008

It wasn't jet fuel, which is basically kerosene: it was aviation gasoline (Avgas) for piston-driven aircraft. Reid Hillview is a general aviation airport located on San Jose's east side (about five minutes from my house). No jets there.

xferner

at 16:14 on July 30th, 2008

Was it jet fuel or aviation gasoline? Gasoline-powered cars will run on aviation gasoline, but to their detriment. Jet fuel, though, is more like kerosene or diesel fuel than gasoline...most gasoline-powered cars won't run at all on that stuff.

xferner has contributed a photo to this story.

StrebKR

at 17:09 on July 30th, 2008

Good Story!

Rich Snyder (not verified)

at 00:00 on July 31st, 2008

Actually, jets, helicopters and turboprops (jet-powered propeller planes) fly into Reid-Hillview a lot...there just isn't any Jet-A available at Reid-Hillview right now. There used to be, maybe two years ago. They just have 100LL (100 octane, low lead) at the field, on the self-serve pump and by Exxon, Chevron and BP trucks.

xScheibe

at 09:39 on July 31st, 2008

Photo-Avia

at 14:40 on July 31st, 2008

dont know about "jet" fuel, but it maybe the 100LLs used for piston-engined aircraft at the airport. weird idea, though.

Photo-Avia has contributed a photo to this story.

sweethavenus19

at 07:01 on August 2nd, 2008

Thanks for the photo invite. Am sure that aviation gas is much different from car gasoline. Wild imagination... thats from too much watching sci-fi movie. lol

MartinezPR

at 16:08 on August 2nd, 2008

Yes, a gasoline powered car can work with 100LL (Low Lead), but cars are designed to run with gasoline that has little to no lead whatsoever so 100LL will ruin them. If you put Jet-A in it, all you will do is completely ruin the engine as it is the same as filling it up with diesel fuel.

Jet fuel on the other hand will work on any vehicle that has a diesel engine on it without modification. Might have some problems since the engine isn't tuned to that specific fuel but it will run it. All the trucks, tugs, and mules in a nearby FBO to where I live run on Jet A.

MartinezPR has contributed a photo to this story.