Engine of a helio courier quit on climb out after takeoff caused by water in the fuel resulting in a...

Attributes
ACN	340521
Time
Date	199606
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : crq
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 700 agl bound upper : 700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : crq
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 5931 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	340521
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	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On jun/xx/96, at about XA30 pm local time I preflted the aircraft, and sumped one 8 oz paper coffee cup from the gascolator, with about one fourth teaspoon of water in it. I sumped 2 more coffee cups of fuel, no water present. I called the fuel truck, and both main (inboard) fuel tanks were topped off (took on about 30 gals at this time). I pulled the plane out of its tiedown (level ground) and spent about 15 mins getting gear and preflting the aircraft further. I then sumped 3 more coffee cups of fuel (no water present). The engine started immediately, taxi and run-up were normal. I waited about 3-4 more mins for landing traffic. Takeoff and climb was normal. At about 700 ft AGL the engine stopped generating power. No rough running or sputtering. The propeller continued to windmill, at this point engine controls were: full throttle, full rich mixture, propeller control full forward (high RPM), and boost pump on (unchanged from takeoff). I was now about 1/2 mi past the end of the runway, having just started a right turn. I picked the only relatively flat spot within gliding distance (behind and to my right). I hastened in the turn, while pushing the nose down for airspeed. Leveling off and in a flare (the propeller just stopped windmilling), I shut off master switch. Initial contact was with the main wheels against a burm and some rocks, the main gear sheared, I continued to roll on the nose gear and tailcone. The nose gear lower section failed in soft dirt and the aircraft came to a stop. The FAA was notified immediately and an inspection was conducted that night. The conclusion was potentially undrainable water may remain in the fuel tanks. The conclusion is, that if water is present in the fuel tanks of this aircraft, it can potentially be undrainable with the present system no matter how much fuel is drained. We are presently already designing a system to eliminate this problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG OF A HELIO COURIER QUIT ON CLBOUT AFTER TKOF CAUSED BY WATER IN THE FUEL RESULTING IN AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG. THE ACFT'S MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AND THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR LOWER SECTION FAILED. DAMAGE CLASSIFIED THIS MISHAP AS AN INCIDENT.

Narrative: ON JUN/XX/96, AT ABOUT XA30 PM LCL TIME I PREFLTED THE ACFT, AND SUMPED ONE 8 OZ PAPER COFFEE CUP FROM THE GASCOLATOR, WITH ABOUT ONE FOURTH TEASPOON OF WATER IN IT. I SUMPED 2 MORE COFFEE CUPS OF FUEL, NO WATER PRESENT. I CALLED THE FUEL TRUCK, AND BOTH MAIN (INBOARD) FUEL TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF (TOOK ON ABOUT 30 GALS AT THIS TIME). I PULLED THE PLANE OUT OF ITS TIEDOWN (LEVEL GND) AND SPENT ABOUT 15 MINS GETTING GEAR AND PREFLTING THE ACFT FURTHER. I THEN SUMPED 3 MORE COFFEE CUPS OF FUEL (NO WATER PRESENT). THE ENG STARTED IMMEDIATELY, TAXI AND RUN-UP WERE NORMAL. I WAITED ABOUT 3-4 MORE MINS FOR LNDG TFC. TKOF AND CLB WAS NORMAL. AT ABOUT 700 FT AGL THE ENG STOPPED GENERATING PWR. NO ROUGH RUNNING OR SPUTTERING. THE PROP CONTINUED TO WINDMILL, AT THIS POINT ENG CTLS WERE: FULL THROTTLE, FULL RICH MIXTURE, PROP CTL FULL FORWARD (HIGH RPM), AND BOOST PUMP ON (UNCHANGED FROM TKOF). I WAS NOW ABOUT 1/2 MI PAST THE END OF THE RWY, HAVING JUST STARTED A R TURN. I PICKED THE ONLY RELATIVELY FLAT SPOT WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE (BEHIND AND TO MY R). I HASTENED IN THE TURN, WHILE PUSHING THE NOSE DOWN FOR AIRSPD. LEVELING OFF AND IN A FLARE (THE PROP JUST STOPPED WINDMILLING), I SHUT OFF MASTER SWITCH. INITIAL CONTACT WAS WITH THE MAIN WHEELS AGAINST A BURM AND SOME ROCKS, THE MAIN GEAR SHEARED, I CONTINUED TO ROLL ON THE NOSE GEAR AND TAILCONE. THE NOSE GEAR LOWER SECTION FAILED IN SOFT DIRT AND THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP. THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AND AN INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED THAT NIGHT. THE CONCLUSION WAS POTENTIALLY UNDRAINABLE WATER MAY REMAIN IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE CONCLUSION IS, THAT IF WATER IS PRESENT IN THE FUEL TANKS OF THIS ACFT, IT CAN POTENTIALLY BE UNDRAINABLE WITH THE PRESENT SYS NO MATTER HOW MUCH FUEL IS DRAINED. WE ARE PRESENTLY ALREADY DESIGNING A SYS TO ELIMINATE THIS PROB.

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.

Engine of a helio courier quit on climb out after takeoff caused by water in the fuel resulting in an off airport forced landing. The aircraft's main landing gear was sheared off and the nosewheel gear lower section failed. Damage classified this mishap as an incident.