Narrative:

I arrived at the airport at XX30 for my morning run to monroe. I received my WX brief from nashville AFSS. The forecast for monroe was to be 5 broken 5F until 1600Z. I then selected jackson as my alternate. At XX45 I started my walk around inspection of be-18. Twilight was just beginning. I started inside the cockpit, releasing the controls, checking fuel level (full mains, full aft auxiliary tanks), extending flaps and checking battery power. The rest of the walk around was routine and by the checklist. After checking the gasolator on the left engine I drained the left main. Nothing seemed abnormal, so I continued the preflight. After loading in which I had 390 pounds in zone B, and 302 pounds in zone C, I secured the load with the net, and gave a copy of my manifest to mr X, the supervisor on the morning shift. I started the left engine, then the right and proceeded to engage the generators and electrical equipment. I listened to the ATIS broadcast which was calling 2 overcast 1/2F. I received taxi and IFR clearance from ground control and proceeded to runway 15R for departure. At the departure end of runway 15R I then proceeded to do the pretkof checklist and runup. Again nothing seemed abnormal. Upon departure I was given a heading of 180 degrees and contact departure control. After switching to departure, I was given a heading of 270 degrees and cleared to 3000 ft MSL. Climbing through 1300 ft I turned off the electric fuel pumps and it was then the left engine lost power. I contacted departure control and reported the power loss on the left engine and that I was attempting to restart. Departure asked how much fuel and number of persons aboard, and my intentions. I said that I wanted to get some al then make some decisions. I was never able to gain altitude with power set at 32 inches map and 2100 RPM. I was asked if I wanted the ASR approach or an ILS to runway 15L. I elected to do the ILS because I never would have had chance to see the runway with the ASR approach. The controller vectored me for a 5 mi final to runway 15L and I knew that I was going to intercept the localizer inside the final approach fix. I started down the GS but a little too quickly. I got below the GS but was never able to get back on the GS and I reported this to the controller. As I got down to decision ht I was below the GS and reported that I couldn't hold it, meaning I couldn't hold the altitude. It was then that I saw the runway and reported such and made an uneventful landing. It was later when I found out that there had been sufficient water to fill the gasolator and carburetor bowl to cause fuel starvation. Although I followed normal preflight procedure and was not remiss in my duties, I had no reason to believe the liquid coming out of the left main tank was water and not fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX BE-18 RETURN LAND MANDATED BY AN INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN. FUEL CONTAMINATION.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AT XX30 FOR MY MORNING RUN TO MONROE. I RECEIVED MY WX BRIEF FROM NASHVILLE AFSS. THE FORECAST FOR MONROE WAS TO BE 5 BROKEN 5F UNTIL 1600Z. I THEN SELECTED JACKSON AS MY ALTERNATE. AT XX45 I STARTED MY WALK AROUND INSPECTION OF BE-18. TWILIGHT WAS JUST BEGINNING. I STARTED INSIDE THE COCKPIT, RELEASING THE CTLS, CHKING FUEL LEVEL (FULL MAINS, FULL AFT AUX TANKS), EXTENDING FLAPS AND CHKING BATTERY PWR. THE REST OF THE WALK AROUND WAS ROUTINE AND BY THE CHKLIST. AFTER CHKING THE GASOLATOR ON THE L ENG I DRAINED THE L MAIN. NOTHING SEEMED ABNORMAL, SO I CONTINUED THE PREFLT. AFTER LOADING IN WHICH I HAD 390 LBS IN ZONE B, AND 302 LBS IN ZONE C, I SECURED THE LOAD WITH THE NET, AND GAVE A COPY OF MY MANIFEST TO MR X, THE SUPVR ON THE MORNING SHIFT. I STARTED THE L ENG, THEN THE R AND PROCEEDED TO ENGAGE THE GENERATORS AND ELECTRICAL EQUIP. I LISTENED TO THE ATIS BROADCAST WHICH WAS CALLING 2 OVCST 1/2F. I RECEIVED TAXI AND IFR CLRNC FROM GND CTL AND PROCEEDED TO RWY 15R FOR DEP. AT THE DEP END OF RWY 15R I THEN PROCEEDED TO DO THE PRETKOF CHKLIST AND RUNUP. AGAIN NOTHING SEEMED ABNORMAL. UPON DEP I WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND CONTACT DEP CTL. AFTER SWITCHING TO DEP, I WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 270 DEGS AND CLRED TO 3000 FT MSL. CLBING THROUGH 1300 FT I TURNED OFF THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS AND IT WAS THEN THE L ENG LOST PWR. I CONTACTED DEP CTL AND RPTED THE PWR LOSS ON THE L ENG AND THAT I WAS ATTEMPTING TO RESTART. DEP ASKED HOW MUCH FUEL AND NUMBER OF PERSONS ABOARD, AND MY INTENTIONS. I SAID THAT I WANTED TO GET SOME AL THEN MAKE SOME DECISIONS. I WAS NEVER ABLE TO GAIN ALT WITH PWR SET AT 32 INCHES MAP AND 2100 RPM. I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED THE ASR APCH OR AN ILS TO RWY 15L. I ELECTED TO DO THE ILS BECAUSE I NEVER WOULD HAVE HAD CHANCE TO SEE THE RWY WITH THE ASR APCH. THE CTLR VECTORED ME FOR A 5 MI FINAL TO RWY 15L AND I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO INTERCEPT THE LOC INSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX. I STARTED DOWN THE GS BUT A LITTLE TOO QUICKLY. I GOT BELOW THE GS BUT WAS NEVER ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE GS AND I RPTED THIS TO THE CTLR. AS I GOT DOWN TO DECISION HT I WAS BELOW THE GS AND RPTED THAT I COULDN'T HOLD IT, MEANING I COULDN'T HOLD THE ALT. IT WAS THEN THAT I SAW THE RWY AND RPTED SUCH AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. IT WAS LATER WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAD BEEN SUFFICIENT WATER TO FILL THE GASOLATOR AND CARB BOWL TO CAUSE FUEL STARVATION. ALTHOUGH I FOLLOWED NORMAL PREFLT PROC AND WAS NOT REMISS IN MY DUTIES, I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THE LIQUID COMING OUT OF THE L MAIN TANK WAS WATER AND NOT FUEL.

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.