Narrative:

The aircraft was an small aircraft type a, with a fuel injected engine. I have owned the aircraft since it was new, 3 1/2 yrs. The aircraft has 600 hours tt and has had no mechanical problems. 30 days previous to the incident the drain sumps were modified by FBO aviation according to a recent FAA ad. In the last 3 days the plane was flown from leesburg, va, to bangor, me, to narssaq (greenland) to reykjavik (iceland) to edinborough, scotland to various cities in france and denmark, to the farrow islands, iceland, greenland and return to va. During the trip, until the incident on the return leg between greenland, and goose bay, labrador, the aircraft performed perfectly west/O any mechanical problems. Although the plane was flown through a large variety of meteorological conditions no flying difficulties were encountered. Preflight on every leg was thorough and included draining gas from each wing sump, checking for visible water, color and a gas smell. Checks were always made a least 30 mins after fueling, 3-4 oz of fuel from each wing was checked. The leg involving the incident was between gotlab, greenland, goose bay, labrador. Fuel was checked at gotlab and appeared normal (blue, no water detected), but in retrospect not a strong gas smell. The takeoff from gotlab was normal and in VFR conditions. The flight proceeded normally across the atlantic for 5 hours at 12000' (-19 degrees C outside temperature). The last 2 hours were in IMC, but no icing was observed. As I was crossing the labrador coast in IMC and establishing communications with goose bay and moncton control, the engine completely lost power and forced me to assume a glide into a vigorous passing cold front. I was given steering information by goose AFB to a beacon over an uncharted gravel strip. I remained in IMC and the engine returned with variable power at about 7000', 10 degrees C. During the descend I switched fuel tanks, tried the auxiliary fuel pump and activated alternate air. None improved the engine. I continued to orbit the ADF beacon until I had sufficient power to decided to proceed toward goose bay (1 hour). I descended to 4000' (+1 degree C) and proceeded with goose ATC vectors toward the goose bay airport. The engine ran normally. The WX was hail, snow squalls and moderate to extreme turbulence. Goose reported a 30 KT gusting to 55 KT crosswind on the 1 available runway. At 4 mi out and 1500', the engine again became extremely erratic. I declared an emergency, but proceeded to make a successful landing with no damage to the aircraft. A mechanic from FBO inspected the entire fuel system from injectors back and found no evidence of mechanical problems or water in the fuel. After a test flight the next morning we proceeded to bangor and va with a normal running engine. A sample of the gas has been sent for analyst. I am concerned as to whether other pilots will be getting bad gas in gotlab or whether the ad mod to the fuel sump location is creating some type of problem. I would be pleased to answer any questions on this incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback conducted to see if there was any additional or new information that might shed light on the reporter's difficulties. Review of available data with the reporter tends to support water contamination in the fuel obtained at gothab, greenland. The reporter has flown 30 hours since the incident with no engine problems. Additionally, he contacted the airport fuel personnel at gothab to advise of suspected water contamination. The reporter further praised the excellent handling by ATC and airport authorities at goose bay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SERIOUS ENGINE DIFFICULTIES AND PARTIAL POWER LOSS RESULTING IN AN EMERGENCY LNDG AT GOOSE BAY FOR TRANSATLANTIC SINGLE ENGINE SMA.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS AN SMA TYPE A, WITH A FUEL INJECTED ENG. I HAVE OWNED THE ACFT SINCE IT WAS NEW, 3 1/2 YRS. THE ACFT HAS 600 HRS TT AND HAS HAD NO MECHANICAL PROBS. 30 DAYS PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT THE DRAIN SUMPS WERE MODIFIED BY FBO AVIATION ACCORDING TO A RECENT FAA AD. IN THE LAST 3 DAYS THE PLANE WAS FLOWN FROM LEESBURG, VA, TO BANGOR, ME, TO NARSSAQ (GREENLAND) TO REYKJAVIK (ICELAND) TO EDINBOROUGH, SCOTLAND TO VARIOUS CITIES IN FRANCE AND DENMARK, TO THE FARROW ISLANDS, ICELAND, GREENLAND AND RETURN TO VA. DURING THE TRIP, UNTIL THE INCIDENT ON THE RETURN LEG BTWN GREENLAND, AND GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, THE ACFT PERFORMED PERFECTLY W/O ANY MECHANICAL PROBS. ALTHOUGH THE PLANE WAS FLOWN THROUGH A LARGE VARIETY OF METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS NO FLYING DIFFICULTIES WERE ENCOUNTERED. PREFLT ON EVERY LEG WAS THOROUGH AND INCLUDED DRAINING GAS FROM EACH WING SUMP, CHKING FOR VISIBLE WATER, COLOR AND A GAS SMELL. CHKS WERE ALWAYS MADE A LEAST 30 MINS AFTER FUELING, 3-4 OZ OF FUEL FROM EACH WING WAS CHKED. THE LEG INVOLVING THE INCIDENT WAS BTWN GOTLAB, GREENLAND, GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR. FUEL WAS CHKED AT GOTLAB AND APPEARED NORMAL (BLUE, NO WATER DETECTED), BUT IN RETROSPECT NOT A STRONG GAS SMELL. THE TKOF FROM GOTLAB WAS NORMAL AND IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC FOR 5 HRS AT 12000' (-19 DEGS C OUTSIDE TEMP). THE LAST 2 HRS WERE IN IMC, BUT NO ICING WAS OBSERVED. AS I WAS XING THE LABRADOR COAST IN IMC AND ESTABLISHING COMS WITH GOOSE BAY AND MONCTON CTL, THE ENG COMPLETELY LOST PWR AND FORCED ME TO ASSUME A GLIDE INTO A VIGOROUS PASSING COLD FRONT. I WAS GIVEN STEERING INFO BY GOOSE AFB TO A BEACON OVER AN UNCHARTED GRAVEL STRIP. I REMAINED IN IMC AND THE ENG RETURNED WITH VARIABLE PWR AT ABOUT 7000', 10 DEGS C. DURING THE DSND I SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, TRIED THE AUX FUEL PUMP AND ACTIVATED ALTERNATE AIR. NONE IMPROVED THE ENG. I CONTINUED TO ORBIT THE ADF BEACON UNTIL I HAD SUFFICIENT PWR TO DECIDED TO PROCEED TOWARD GOOSE BAY (1 HR). I DSNDED TO 4000' (+1 DEG C) AND PROCEEDED WITH GOOSE ATC VECTORS TOWARD THE GOOSE BAY ARPT. THE ENG RAN NORMALLY. THE WX WAS HAIL, SNOW SQUALLS AND MODERATE TO EXTREME TURB. GOOSE RPTED A 30 KT GUSTING TO 55 KT XWIND ON THE 1 AVAILABLE RWY. AT 4 MI OUT AND 1500', THE ENG AGAIN BECAME EXTREMELY ERRATIC. I DECLARED AN EMER, BUT PROCEEDED TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. A MECH FROM FBO INSPECTED THE ENTIRE FUEL SYS FROM INJECTORS BACK AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL PROBS OR WATER IN THE FUEL. AFTER A TEST FLT THE NEXT MORNING WE PROCEEDED TO BANGOR AND VA WITH A NORMAL RUNNING ENG. A SAMPLE OF THE GAS HAS BEEN SENT FOR ANALYST. I AM CONCERNED AS TO WHETHER OTHER PLTS WILL BE GETTING BAD GAS IN GOTLAB OR WHETHER THE AD MOD TO THE FUEL SUMP LOCATION IS CREATING SOME TYPE OF PROB. I WOULD BE PLEASED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK CONDUCTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY ADDITIONAL OR NEW INFO THAT MIGHT SHED LIGHT ON THE RPTR'S DIFFICULTIES. REVIEW OF AVAILABLE DATA WITH THE RPTR TENDS TO SUPPORT WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL OBTAINED AT GOTHAB, GREENLAND. THE RPTR HAS FLOWN 30 HRS SINCE THE INCIDENT WITH NO ENG PROBS. ADDITIONALLY, HE CONTACTED THE ARPT FUEL PERSONNEL AT GOTHAB TO ADVISE OF SUSPECTED WATER CONTAMINATION. THE RPTR FURTHER PRAISED THE EXCELLENT HANDLING BY ATC AND ARPT AUTHORITIES AT GOOSE BAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.