Narrative:

This is in response to your request for a statement concerning my operation of a bonanza aircraft near whitehall, wi, on feb/mon/95. Thank you for this opportunity to state the facts for the record. I am the holder of airline transport pilot certificate. I am employed by a commuter as a first officer on the saab 340. I have approximately 3400 hours total flight time. I graduated air force pilot training at the top of my class. I have never been involved in an aircraft accident or incident and have never been the subject of an FAA enforcement proceeding. The bonanza aircraft belongs to an air service. I had arranged to use it on feb/mon/95 for the purpose of returning the aircraft to its home base subsequent to a paint job. No passenger were aboard the aircraft. I arrived at the princeton, mn, airport at approximately XA15. Thereafter, I preflted the aircraft, checked the WX and reviewed all other matters pertaining to my planned flight. The aircraft was preheated by the painting contractor. I started the engine and insured that the aircraft was ready for flight prior to taking the runway. I then flew to cambridge, mn, for the purpose of acquiring more fuel. The flight to cambridge lasted approximately 15 mins and was uneventful. The fueler topped off the aircraft fuel tanks with 39.3 gallons. I departed cambridge for madison, wi, under VFR conditions, at approximately XD40 CST. While climbing to 7500 ft MSL, I received clearance from ZMP to fly direct to madison. Approximately 25 mins out of cambridge, I initiated a change in fuel tank selection. While in this process, the aircraft engine ceased to perform. I was unable to restart the aircraft engine. My only option was to initiate an off-airport landing. I followed the procedures set forth on the aircraft emergency checklists, and maintained aircraft control while looking for a place to land. In addition, I informed ATC of the situation. I chose the largest field I could find. The approach and landing was under control and into the wind. The aircraft collided with a barbed wire fence. I subsequently exited the aircraft after shutting down most system. Fuel was leaking onto the ground, but no fire ensued. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the fuel system was contaminated with water and although he checked for ice and drained a great deal of water and fuel doing so, more water remained. The FSDO manager owned a bonanza and was able to discuss the problem of fuel purging of this aircraft in great detail. As the reporter described the manager's discussion he concluded that the only thing to do in an extreme case, such as this aircraft's exposure time to the elements, is to completely drain all fuel and start the purging procedure after refueling. The FAA required the reporter to take an FAA administered oral examination. There was no certificate action by the FAA after their investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG MALFUNCTION. OFF ARPT LNDG. PLT ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS AND THE ENG QUITS AND WILL NOT RESTART.

Narrative: THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST FOR A STATEMENT CONCERNING MY OP OF A BONANZA ACFT NEAR WHITEHALL, WI, ON FEB/MON/95. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STATE THE FACTS FOR THE RECORD. I AM THE HOLDER OF AIRLINE TRANSPORT PLT CERTIFICATE. I AM EMPLOYED BY A COMMUTER AS A FO ON THE SAAB 340. I HAVE APPROX 3400 HRS TOTAL FLT TIME. I GRADUATED AIR FORCE PLT TRAINING AT THE TOP OF MY CLASS. I HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACFT ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT AND HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SUBJECT OF AN FAA ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDING. THE BONANZA ACFT BELONGS TO AN AIR SVC. I HAD ARRANGED TO USE IT ON FEB/MON/95 FOR THE PURPOSE OF RETURNING THE ACFT TO ITS HOME BASE SUBSEQUENT TO A PAINT JOB. NO PAX WERE ABOARD THE ACFT. I ARRIVED AT THE PRINCETON, MN, ARPT AT APPROX XA15. THEREAFTER, I PREFLTED THE ACFT, CHKED THE WX AND REVIEWED ALL OTHER MATTERS PERTAINING TO MY PLANNED FLT. THE ACFT WAS PREHEATED BY THE PAINTING CONTRACTOR. I STARTED THE ENG AND INSURED THAT THE ACFT WAS READY FOR FLT PRIOR TO TAKING THE RWY. I THEN FLEW TO CAMBRIDGE, MN, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING MORE FUEL. THE FLT TO CAMBRIDGE LASTED APPROX 15 MINS AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE FUELER TOPPED OFF THE ACFT FUEL TANKS WITH 39.3 GALLONS. I DEPARTED CAMBRIDGE FOR MADISON, WI, UNDER VFR CONDITIONS, AT APPROX XD40 CST. WHILE CLBING TO 7500 FT MSL, I RECEIVED CLRNC FROM ZMP TO FLY DIRECT TO MADISON. APPROX 25 MINS OUT OF CAMBRIDGE, I INITIATED A CHANGE IN FUEL TANK SELECTION. WHILE IN THIS PROCESS, THE ACFT ENG CEASED TO PERFORM. I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ACFT ENG. MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO INITIATE AN OFF-ARPT LNDG. I FOLLOWED THE PROCS SET FORTH ON THE ACFT EMER CHKLISTS, AND MAINTAINED ACFT CTL WHILE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. IN ADDITION, I INFORMED ATC OF THE SIT. I CHOSE THE LARGEST FIELD I COULD FIND. THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNDER CTL AND INTO THE WIND. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A BARBED WIRE FENCE. I SUBSEQUENTLY EXITED THE ACFT AFTER SHUTTING DOWN MOST SYS. FUEL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE GND, BUT NO FIRE ENSUED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE FUEL SYS WAS CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND ALTHOUGH HE CHKED FOR ICE AND DRAINED A GREAT DEAL OF WATER AND FUEL DOING SO, MORE WATER REMAINED. THE FSDO MGR OWNED A BONANZA AND WAS ABLE TO DISCUSS THE PROB OF FUEL PURGING OF THIS ACFT IN GREAT DETAIL. AS THE RPTR DESCRIBED THE MGR'S DISCUSSION HE CONCLUDED THAT THE ONLY THING TO DO IN AN EXTREME CASE, SUCH AS THIS ACFT'S EXPOSURE TIME TO THE ELEMENTS, IS TO COMPLETELY DRAIN ALL FUEL AND START THE PURGING PROC AFTER REFUELING. THE FAA REQUIRED THE RPTR TO TAKE AN FAA ADMINISTERED ORAL EXAM. THERE WAS NO CERTIFICATE ACTION BY THE FAA AFTER THEIR INVESTIGATION.

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.