Small aircraft has engine failure 3 times on return to airport.

Attributes
ACN	290691
Time
Date	199412
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sql
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sql tower : sjc
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Champion Citabria 7ECA
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 363 flight time type : 11
ASRS Report	290691
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On a return flight to san carlos airport from the half moon bay area, the engine abruptly quit on a single engine citabria 7ECA. The engine responded immediately to the emergency restart procedure. Approximately 5 mins later the engine abruptly quit again and again responded immediately to the restart procedure. Between these 2 events I obtained the san carlos ATIS and announced my intentions to land at san carlos to the tower. Approximately 2 mi from the san carlos airport (about 2 mins since the last occurrence) the engine quit again and again responded to the restart procedure. I immediately contacted san carlos tower but required 4 attempts to get a response due to a busy pattern. Once in contact I notified the tower 'I am having engine problems.' the tower responded with an immediate clearance for landing, straight-in to runway 12. The engine continued to run smoothly and landing, taxi, and shutdown approach proceeded without incident. An airport representative drove over and requested information on what happened. I reported the event as described above. The owner/operator of the airplane came out and we suspected water in the fuel. A fuel sample showed water present. The airport representative took my name, FAA number, drivers license number and report in writing. He was shown the fuel sample with the water in it. Approximately 6-7 gallons of fuel remained in the wing tanks (approximately 1/4 tank). Preflight inspection of the fuel showed some water. The fuel was drained until no water was detected in the sampler. The owner/operator and airport representative suggested next time rocking the airplane a little bit before draining for water during the preflight inspection in case there is any condensation forming on the top of the fuel tanks overnight when the tanks are less than full. One additional piece of information: approximately 1/2 way through the flight, the pilot executed 2 barrel rolls in the aerobatic certified citabria. This did not likely contribute to the engine problems. Note: the airport representative said that the tower told him that I declared an emergency. I never did this (said this). My only message to the tower was that I was having engine problems. One other pilot in the pattern contacted the tower and said 'I will...(change my pattern)...to get out of the way of the emergency situation.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ENG FAILURE 3 TIMES ON RETURN TO ARPT.

Narrative: ON A RETURN FLT TO SAN CARLOS ARPT FROM THE HALF MOON BAY AREA, THE ENG ABRUPTLY QUIT ON A SINGLE ENG CITABRIA 7ECA. THE ENG RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE EMER RESTART PROC. APPROX 5 MINS LATER THE ENG ABRUPTLY QUIT AGAIN AND AGAIN RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE RESTART PROC. BTWN THESE 2 EVENTS I OBTAINED THE SAN CARLOS ATIS AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND AT SAN CARLOS TO THE TWR. APPROX 2 MI FROM THE SAN CARLOS ARPT (ABOUT 2 MINS SINCE THE LAST OCCURRENCE) THE ENG QUIT AGAIN AND AGAIN RESPONDED TO THE RESTART PROC. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED SAN CARLOS TWR BUT REQUIRED 4 ATTEMPTS TO GET A RESPONSE DUE TO A BUSY PATTERN. ONCE IN CONTACT I NOTIFIED THE TWR 'I AM HAVING ENG PROBS.' THE TWR RESPONDED WITH AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC FOR LNDG, STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 12. THE ENG CONTINUED TO RUN SMOOTHLY AND LNDG, TAXI, AND SHUTDOWN APCH PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AN ARPT REPRESENTATIVE DROVE OVER AND REQUESTED INFO ON WHAT HAPPENED. I RPTED THE EVENT AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE AIRPLANE CAME OUT AND WE SUSPECTED WATER IN THE FUEL. A FUEL SAMPLE SHOWED WATER PRESENT. THE ARPT REPRESENTATIVE TOOK MY NAME, FAA NUMBER, DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER AND RPT IN WRITING. HE WAS SHOWN THE FUEL SAMPLE WITH THE WATER IN IT. APPROX 6-7 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE WING TANKS (APPROX 1/4 TANK). PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SHOWED SOME WATER. THE FUEL WAS DRAINED UNTIL NO WATER WAS DETECTED IN THE SAMPLER. THE OWNER/OPERATOR AND ARPT REPRESENTATIVE SUGGESTED NEXT TIME ROCKING THE AIRPLANE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE DRAINING FOR WATER DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION IN CASE THERE IS ANY CONDENSATION FORMING ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANKS OVERNIGHT WHEN THE TANKS ARE LESS THAN FULL. ONE ADDITIONAL PIECE OF INFO: APPROX 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE FLT, THE PLT EXECUTED 2 BARREL ROLLS IN THE AEROBATIC CERTIFIED CITABRIA. THIS DID NOT LIKELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE ENG PROBS. NOTE: THE ARPT REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THE TWR TOLD HIM THAT I DECLARED AN EMER. I NEVER DID THIS (SAID THIS). MY ONLY MESSAGE TO THE TWR WAS THAT I WAS HAVING ENG PROBS. ONE OTHER PLT IN THE PATTERN CONTACTED THE TWR AND SAID 'I WILL...(CHANGE MY PATTERN)...TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE EMER SIT.'

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.