Narrative:

On the evening of feb/tue/95, I was called into work to help trace, and fix a fuel leak. After some investigation by myself, and my supervisor, we determined that the right fuel bladder needed to be replaced. Under supervision, myself, and another mechanic drained fuel, removed the bladder, and installed a new bladder. We drained fuel into a 55 gal drum, that was determined to be free of contamination, by my supervisor. It was my understanding that we were to reuse the gas that had been drained from the fuel bladder. I questioned this instruction, several times, and both myself and the other mechanic were told by our supervisor that the 55 gal drum was just as free from contamination as the old bladder. Our supervisor left work for the night, after giving us our final instructions. At approximately XA00 am, on feb/wed/95, I reintroduced the fuel that was previously drained back into aircraft. I did not filter the fuel before reintroduction. The aircraft flew later, that day, and the pilot complained of the engine running rough. I was working nights, so I did not have a chance to deal with the aircraft in question. Evidently, the aircraft was released for service. On feb/thurs/95, the aircraft in question, took off and started to climb out, when the engine quit. The aircraft landed on a public road, without damage to the aircraft, and without injury to pilot and passenger. Since starting with this company, to the date of this incident I had been working 10-19 hour days, without days off. Lack of rest, which erodes my capabilities is, certainly, one cause of this incident. Fuel contamination was determined to be the cause of the engine failure, after post incident investigation. Supplemental information from acn 296851: on a part 135 flight departing a city, in alaska, to a nearby village (after taking off, and climbing through 800 ft AGL), the engine started to lose power, I switched tanks, no change, and proceeded to land on a field, near the airport).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIR TAXI PLT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A FIELD, SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. THE ENG OF THE ACFT HAD FAILED AS A RESULT OF FUEL CONTAMINATION.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF FEB/TUE/95, I WAS CALLED INTO WORK TO HELP TRACE, AND FIX A FUEL LEAK. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION BY MYSELF, AND MY SUPVR, WE DETERMINED THAT THE R FUEL BLADDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UNDER SUPERVISION, MYSELF, AND ANOTHER MECH DRAINED FUEL, REMOVED THE BLADDER, AND INSTALLED A NEW BLADDER. WE DRAINED FUEL INTO A 55 GAL DRUM, THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE FREE OF CONTAMINATION, BY MY SUPVR. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE TO REUSE THE GAS THAT HAD BEEN DRAINED FROM THE FUEL BLADDER. I QUESTIONED THIS INSTRUCTION, SEVERAL TIMES, AND BOTH MYSELF AND THE OTHER MECH WERE TOLD BY OUR SUPVR THAT THE 55 GAL DRUM WAS JUST AS FREE FROM CONTAMINATION AS THE OLD BLADDER. OUR SUPVR LEFT WORK FOR THE NIGHT, AFTER GIVING US OUR FINAL INSTRUCTIONS. AT APPROX XA00 AM, ON FEB/WED/95, I REINTRODUCED THE FUEL THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY DRAINED BACK INTO ACFT. I DID NOT FILTER THE FUEL BEFORE REINTRODUCTION. THE ACFT FLEW LATER, THAT DAY, AND THE PLT COMPLAINED OF THE ENG RUNNING ROUGH. I WAS WORKING NIGHTS, SO I DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO DEAL WITH THE ACFT IN QUESTION. EVIDENTLY, THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR SVC. ON FEB/THURS/95, THE ACFT IN QUESTION, TOOK OFF AND STARTED TO CLBOUT, WHEN THE ENG QUIT. THE ACFT LANDED ON A PUBLIC ROAD, WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, AND WITHOUT INJURY TO PLT AND PAX. SINCE STARTING WITH THIS COMPANY, TO THE DATE OF THIS INCIDENT I HAD BEEN WORKING 10-19 HR DAYS, WITHOUT DAYS OFF. LACK OF REST, WHICH ERODES MY CAPABILITIES IS, CERTAINLY, ONE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. FUEL CONTAMINATION WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE, AFTER POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 296851: ON A PART 135 FLT DEPARTING A CITY, IN ALASKA, TO A NEARBY VILLAGE (AFTER TAKING OFF, AND CLBING THROUGH 800 FT AGL), THE ENG STARTED TO LOSE PWR, I SWITCHED TANKS, NO CHANGE, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON A FIELD, NEAR THE ARPT).

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.