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MENOMINEE -- Falsified documents at the Twin County Airport in Menominee is creating quite a stir and costing money.  Airport officials say an employee falsely reported taking required samples from a fuel tank, leading to the discovery of water in the tank.

After an audit back in August, the airport manager says they found discrepancies in reports.  An employee, whose name has not been released, indicated he had sampled fuel tanks daily, which is a requirement by their fuel provider, BP Air.

However, officials say they found samples weren't taken daily, sometimes only weekly.  As to the longevity of this, the manager says they can only speculate, but it could date back to the mid-1990s.  Pilots say it could have potentially been a fatal mistake.

The Twin County Airport fuels about fifty private planes a week.  Officials say water in a gas line could ultimately lead to engine failure in airplanes.  It's believed rain water seeped into the tank after some concrete settled.    

"If you get water in your car and it quits, you can pull over to the side of the road and call a wrecker.  Up in Upper Michigan, you're in an aircraft, all there is, is tree tops...not good," explained pilot and owner of Krist Oil Company, Krist Atanasoff.

But luckily, the problem was found in time before any accidents occurred.  Crews are currently cleaning out and refilling the 10,000 gallon tank at the airport.  Refueling of piston engine aircraft will be shut down at least until Friday.

The airport manager says it's costing around $10,000 to get this fixed, not including revenue lost from being shutdown.

"At this time, it's preventative maintenance; we're trying to take care of a problem now before it does create a problem," explained Manager Tim Spreen.  "After we get done with clean-up and maintenance, we will be back up 100 percent."

The employee declined to comment on the situation.  As to whether or not disciplinary action will be taken, officials say it's ultimately up to the Twin County Airport Commission.  They plan to meet to discuss the issue on Monday.