Nov. 25 — Exxon recalls shipments of aviation fuel (AVGAS) used for prop planes and helicopters after learning that it failed to meet certain specification standards. Texaco has alerted Fixed Base Operators (FBO) and marketers that received avgas from the Pennsauken (NJ) Terminal from September 9, 1998, to the present; and Providence, (RI) Terminal from October 29th to the present that fuel from these locations had been found to be off-specification and requested FBO's to cease sale of the fuel and advise aircraft owners to drain this fuel from their aircraft.

Samples of the subject AVGAS failed the copper strip corrosion test performed in accordance with the ASTM D130 test procedure. This test indicates the propensity of a fuel to tarnish or corrode copper or its alloys. The results of the D130 test indicated that the subject AVGAS produced a moderate to dark tarnish on the copper strip, as compared to the slight tarnish result which is required to pass the test. The subject AVGAS did not, however, produce the more severe condition of corrosion. The copper strip test is only one of a battery of tests to which the AVGAS was subjected, and in all other tests the AVGAS met ASTM D910 specification requirements.