Narrative:

I decided to add 10 gallons of fuel at orlando country to insure more-than-adequate reserves for the trip home. We called fxe tower on 120.9, reported that we were about 20 NM wnw with the ATIS and requested a straight-in landing on runway 8. We were cleared straight-in and when we came onto the localizer we turned toward fxe. Just then, the engine started a slow deceleration like we were slowly pulling the throttle to idle. But neither of us were touching the throttle. The RPM continued to decrease slowly. I pulled the carburetor heat on and the RPM increased some, then I pushed it in and the RPM increased some more. I was certain that I was suffering from fuel contamination. I continued to adjust the throttle, carburetor heat and mixture, checking the fuel shutoff valve open, occasionally getting a 200-400 RPM rise. The RPM continued its slow, wavering decrease. So I tried fxe tower on 120.9 and they did not answer either! I tried fll on 119.3 and 120.2 and opa locka tower on 120.7 -- no answer anywhere! I tuned 121.5 and called 5 times to fxe, fll, opf, and any station. No answer! By this time I was down to 400-500 ft and it was obvious that the engine was not going to run at much above idle and we were not holding altitude. Since we were well short of opa locka west, my only option was to land on highway 27. We coasted to a near stop by a crossover between the sbound and northbound lanes and I turned onto it. The engine was still running fairly smoothly, so I added power and got full, smooth power! After a few seconds I believed that the engine was ok, the contamination must be gone. Since I should still have plenty of fuel, I opted to takeoff and continue to fxe to have the problem worked by our mechanics. I had full normal power through about 600 ft when the RPM started to roll slowly back again -- just as it had the first time. I pulled the throttle to idle and landed on the northbound roadway of highway 27 rather than try to nurse a sick engine over a populated area. After I landed the second time, the engine ran, but would not accelerate above idle. I shut it down and the student and I pushed the plane off the roadway. I also used my fuel tester cup to drain fuel out of each wing tank and the carburetor fuel sump. Both wing tanks showed fuel in them, but the liquid drained out of the bottom sump by the carburetor was clear, white and had contamination in it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL CONTAMINATION IN SMA FLT MANDATES AN EMER OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I DECIDED TO ADD 10 GALLONS OF FUEL AT ORLANDO COUNTRY TO INSURE MORE-THAN-ADEQUATE RESERVES FOR THE TRIP HOME. WE CALLED FXE TWR ON 120.9, RPTED THAT WE WERE ABOUT 20 NM WNW WITH THE ATIS AND REQUESTED A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG ON RWY 8. WE WERE CLRED STRAIGHT-IN AND WHEN WE CAME ONTO THE LOC WE TURNED TOWARD FXE. JUST THEN, THE ENG STARTED A SLOW DECELERATION LIKE WE WERE SLOWLY PULLING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. BUT NEITHER OF US WERE TOUCHING THE THROTTLE. THE RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE SLOWLY. I PULLED THE CARB HEAT ON AND THE RPM INCREASED SOME, THEN I PUSHED IT IN AND THE RPM INCREASED SOME MORE. I WAS CERTAIN THAT I WAS SUFFERING FROM FUEL CONTAMINATION. I CONTINUED TO ADJUST THE THROTTLE, CARB HEAT AND MIXTURE, CHKING THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE OPEN, OCCASIONALLY GETTING A 200-400 RPM RISE. THE RPM CONTINUED ITS SLOW, WAVERING DECREASE. SO I TRIED FXE TWR ON 120.9 AND THEY DID NOT ANSWER EITHER! I TRIED FLL ON 119.3 AND 120.2 AND OPA LOCKA TWR ON 120.7 -- NO ANSWER ANYWHERE! I TUNED 121.5 AND CALLED 5 TIMES TO FXE, FLL, OPF, AND ANY STATION. NO ANSWER! BY THIS TIME I WAS DOWN TO 400-500 FT AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE ENG WAS NOT GOING TO RUN AT MUCH ABOVE IDLE AND WE WERE NOT HOLDING ALT. SINCE WE WERE WELL SHORT OF OPA LOCKA WEST, MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO LAND ON HWY 27. WE COASTED TO A NEAR STOP BY A CROSSOVER BTWN THE SBOUND AND NBOUND LANES AND I TURNED ONTO IT. THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING FAIRLY SMOOTHLY, SO I ADDED PWR AND GOT FULL, SMOOTH PWR! AFTER A FEW SECONDS I BELIEVED THAT THE ENG WAS OK, THE CONTAMINATION MUST BE GONE. SINCE I SHOULD STILL HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL, I OPTED TO TKOF AND CONTINUE TO FXE TO HAVE THE PROB WORKED BY OUR MECHS. I HAD FULL NORMAL PWR THROUGH ABOUT 600 FT WHEN THE RPM STARTED TO ROLL SLOWLY BACK AGAIN -- JUST AS IT HAD THE FIRST TIME. I PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND LANDED ON THE NBOUND ROADWAY OF HWY 27 RATHER THAN TRY TO NURSE A SICK ENG OVER A POPULATED AREA. AFTER I LANDED THE SECOND TIME, THE ENG RAN, BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE IDLE. I SHUT IT DOWN AND THE STUDENT AND I PUSHED THE PLANE OFF THE ROADWAY. I ALSO USED MY FUEL TESTER CUP TO DRAIN FUEL OUT OF EACH WING TANK AND THE CARB FUEL SUMP. BOTH WING TANKS SHOWED FUEL IN THEM, BUT THE LIQUID DRAINED OUT OF THE BOTTOM SUMP BY THE CARB WAS CLR, WHITE AND HAD CONTAMINATION IN IT.

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.