Pilot of small aircraft aircraft experienced engine failure after takeoff due to possible water in the fuel or a malfunctioning fuel pump.

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Attributes
ACN	218147
Time
Date	199208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rdu
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 366 flight time type : 115
ASRS Report	218147
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Normal preflight and taxi and run-up. Lost power on climb out. Landed on grass at side of runway. Had been raining recently. Possibly caused by water in fuel system not detected at preflight. Plane due for 100 hour inspection. Possible problem with fuel pump. Did not have enough runway to land straight ahead. Tried to land on cross runway, but only got as far as the grass. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated in callback that he had some type of contamination in the aircraft fuel since the fuel pump was ok. However, he further stated that he had not only done a water check in the aircraft fuel during preflight, but also a check in accordance with an FAA mandatory 'ad' which calls for pulling the aircraft tail down during preflight to help detect any water in the fuel system for the make and model aircraft he was using. The ad instructions are placarded on the instrument panel to alert the pilot prior to takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE AFTER TKOF DUE TO POSSIBLE WATER IN THE FUEL OR A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL PUMP.

Narrative: NORMAL PREFLT AND TAXI AND RUN-UP. LOST PWR ON CLBOUT. LANDED ON GRASS AT SIDE OF RWY. HAD BEEN RAINING RECENTLY. POSSIBLY CAUSED BY WATER IN FUEL SYS NOT DETECTED AT PREFLT. PLANE DUE FOR 100 HR INSPECTION. POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH FUEL PUMP. DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH RWY TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD. TRIED TO LAND ON CROSS RWY, BUT ONLY GOT AS FAR AS THE GRASS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED IN CALLBACK THAT HE HAD SOME TYPE OF CONTAMINATION IN THE ACFT FUEL SINCE THE FUEL PUMP WAS OK. HOWEVER, HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD NOT ONLY DONE A WATER CHK IN THE ACFT FUEL DURING PREFLT, BUT ALSO A CHK IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN FAA MANDATORY 'AD' WHICH CALLS FOR PULLING THE ACFT TAIL DOWN DURING PREFLT TO HELP DETECT ANY WATER IN THE FUEL SYS FOR THE MAKE AND MODEL ACFT HE WAS USING. THE AD INSTRUCTIONS ARE PLACARDED ON THE INST PANEL TO ALERT THE PLT PRIOR TO TKOF.

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.