Narrative:

I was to start in a cessna 172L from I62 brookville, oh, with my instructor for IFR training. Ceiling was around 3000 ft, so it could be real IFR. For exterior preflight, I checked left fuel tank sump. I thought it was ok. Then when I was checking the right fuel tank sample, the instructor said to make sure there is not water, since another airplane, cessna 182, had a lot of water contamination. I heard something was wrong with fuel, but I did not realize the situation was serious. I took another fuel sample from the right tank, and it was all water. I rechked the left tank, and it was also 100 percent water. I overlooked it because it was not some water in fuel, but all water, and the fuel chker was dirty from wear. Mechanics began dumping fuel and found buckets of water. We found the fuel pump was pumping water up. They said that refueling of undergnd tank on jan/aa/95 may have left a lid open. There was snow on the ground until jan/bb/95. The temperature rose to over 60 degree F on jan/cc/95. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that head of FBO was present when they were dumping the water and called the fuel supplier. When inspecting, they pumped gallons and gallons of water from the tanks. They have developed better procedures to assure the lids are closed and feel this is an isolated incident. It appears only 2 aircraft were affected and the problem was discovered promptly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING PREFLT PLT NOTICED FUEL SAMPLE WAS ENTIRELY WATER. KEPT DRAINING AND ONLY WATER WAS PRESENT.

Narrative: I WAS TO START IN A CESSNA 172L FROM I62 BROOKVILLE, OH, WITH MY INSTRUCTOR FOR IFR TRAINING. CEILING WAS AROUND 3000 FT, SO IT COULD BE REAL IFR. FOR EXTERIOR PREFLT, I CHKED L FUEL TANK SUMP. I THOUGHT IT WAS OK. THEN WHEN I WAS CHKING THE R FUEL TANK SAMPLE, THE INSTRUCTOR SAID TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NOT WATER, SINCE ANOTHER AIRPLANE, CESSNA 182, HAD A LOT OF WATER CONTAMINATION. I HEARD SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH FUEL, BUT I DID NOT REALIZE THE SIT WAS SERIOUS. I TOOK ANOTHER FUEL SAMPLE FROM THE R TANK, AND IT WAS ALL WATER. I RECHKED THE L TANK, AND IT WAS ALSO 100 PERCENT WATER. I OVERLOOKED IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SOME WATER IN FUEL, BUT ALL WATER, AND THE FUEL CHKER WAS DIRTY FROM WEAR. MECHS BEGAN DUMPING FUEL AND FOUND BUCKETS OF WATER. WE FOUND THE FUEL PUMP WAS PUMPING WATER UP. THEY SAID THAT REFUELING OF UNDERGND TANK ON JAN/AA/95 MAY HAVE LEFT A LID OPEN. THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GND UNTIL JAN/BB/95. THE TEMP ROSE TO OVER 60 DEG F ON JAN/CC/95. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HEAD OF FBO WAS PRESENT WHEN THEY WERE DUMPING THE WATER AND CALLED THE FUEL SUPPLIER. WHEN INSPECTING, THEY PUMPED GALLONS AND GALLONS OF WATER FROM THE TANKS. THEY HAVE DEVELOPED BETTER PROCS TO ASSURE THE LIDS ARE CLOSED AND FEEL THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. IT APPEARS ONLY 2 ACFT WERE AFFECTED AND THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED PROMPTLY.

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.