Narrative:

On the way to peach springs VOR from the grand canyon, I was approximately 500-1000 ft AGL familiarizing myself with the terrain for the purpose of WX deviations that we sometimes encounter that prohibit us from going our normal rtes. I was going back empty from the grand canyon to north las vegas which I had not done for a while and the WX seemed to be deteriorating where it might become a factor in the near future. I believe I was still about 15 mi away from peach springs when the left engine began to pulse or surge. I immediately reacted by pushing up the mixtures, propellers, and throttles and made sure the landing gear and flaps were up. I began a small climb up knowing I could climb on 1 engine because of the lack of weight the plane was carrying. I wanted to troubleshoot the problem and make sure I couldn't get it running again before I feathered the engine. The second engine started doing the same thing maybe 10 seconds into the climb. Both engines were now surging, so I turned for a narrow road and prepared for an emergency landing. I quickly checked that the fuel selectors were on the mains and the fuel quantity gauges were indicating I had fuel and that the magnetos were on. I noticed the fuel flow indicators were jumping so I cautiously put the fuel pumps on high knowing that they could cause the engine to die as well. There was no immediate change so I turned them back off. I put the gear down and around the time of the flare the engines both came alive again. I touched down momentarily but decided to climb out because of the condition of the road, the width of the road, and the trees and bushes on both sides of the road. I do remember hearing a thud but I am not exactly sure when I hit the trees or bushes. About a 1000 ft into the climb I called and said I had a problem on company frequency on 123.45. On the way up to 8500 ft the engines continued to surge briefly and around this time I noticed the wingtip damage on both sides. After leveling off and the last 20 or 30 mins of the flight, I had no problems with the engines. I flew back at 120 KTS hoping not to cause any more damage to the wings. At east point I called and asked approach control for a priority landing and to remain high until I was at a safe distance from north las vegas airport. No emergency was declared and I asked for no further service. After safely landing I pulled the plane to the maintenance hangar. After telling what had happened, maintenance drained the fuel and found over a cup full of water in the fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER OFF ARPT LNDG TKOF (A TOUCH AND GO) WAS MADE ON A DESERT ROAD AFTER PWR LOST TO BOTH ENGS ON A C402 BUSINESS LINER. ACFT WAS ON A FERRY FLT TO NORTH LAS VEGAS. POSTFLT INSPECTION FOUND WATER IN THE FUEL. FUEL CONTAMINATION. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: ON THE WAY TO PEACH SPRINGS VOR FROM THE GRAND CANYON, I WAS APPROX 500-1000 FT AGL FAMILIARIZING MYSELF WITH THE TERRAIN FOR THE PURPOSE OF WX DEVS THAT WE SOMETIMES ENCOUNTER THAT PROHIBIT US FROM GOING OUR NORMAL RTES. I WAS GOING BACK EMPTY FROM THE GRAND CANYON TO NORTH LAS VEGAS WHICH I HAD NOT DONE FOR A WHILE AND THE WX SEEMED TO BE DETERIORATING WHERE IT MIGHT BECOME A FACTOR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I BELIEVE I WAS STILL ABOUT 15 MI AWAY FROM PEACH SPRINGS WHEN THE L ENG BEGAN TO PULSE OR SURGE. I IMMEDIATELY REACTED BY PUSHING UP THE MIXTURES, PROPS, AND THROTTLES AND MADE SURE THE LNDG GEAR AND FLAPS WERE UP. I BEGAN A SMALL CLB UP KNOWING I COULD CLB ON 1 ENG BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF WT THE PLANE WAS CARRYING. I WANTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB AND MAKE SURE I COULDN'T GET IT RUNNING AGAIN BEFORE I FEATHERED THE ENG. THE SECOND ENG STARTED DOING THE SAME THING MAYBE 10 SECONDS INTO THE CLB. BOTH ENGS WERE NOW SURGING, SO I TURNED FOR A NARROW ROAD AND PREPARED FOR AN EMER LNDG. I QUICKLY CHKED THAT THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE ON THE MAINS AND THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES WERE INDICATING I HAD FUEL AND THAT THE MAGNETOS WERE ON. I NOTICED THE FUEL FLOW INDICATORS WERE JUMPING SO I CAUTIOUSLY PUT THE FUEL PUMPS ON HIGH KNOWING THAT THEY COULD CAUSE THE ENG TO DIE AS WELL. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE CHANGE SO I TURNED THEM BACK OFF. I PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND AROUND THE TIME OF THE FLARE THE ENGS BOTH CAME ALIVE AGAIN. I TOUCHED DOWN MOMENTARILY BUT DECIDED TO CLB OUT BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE ROAD, THE WIDTH OF THE ROAD, AND THE TREES AND BUSHES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD. I DO REMEMBER HEARING A THUD BUT I AM NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN I HIT THE TREES OR BUSHES. ABOUT A 1000 FT INTO THE CLB I CALLED AND SAID I HAD A PROB ON COMPANY FREQ ON 123.45. ON THE WAY UP TO 8500 FT THE ENGS CONTINUED TO SURGE BRIEFLY AND AROUND THIS TIME I NOTICED THE WINGTIP DAMAGE ON BOTH SIDES. AFTER LEVELING OFF AND THE LAST 20 OR 30 MINS OF THE FLT, I HAD NO PROBS WITH THE ENGS. I FLEW BACK AT 120 KTS HOPING NOT TO CAUSE ANY MORE DAMAGE TO THE WINGS. AT EAST POINT I CALLED AND ASKED APCH CTL FOR A PRIORITY LNDG AND TO REMAIN HIGH UNTIL I WAS AT A SAFE DISTANCE FROM NORTH LAS VEGAS ARPT. NO EMER WAS DECLARED AND I ASKED FOR NO FURTHER SVC. AFTER SAFELY LNDG I PULLED THE PLANE TO THE MAINT HANGAR. AFTER TELLING WHAT HAD HAPPENED, MAINT DRAINED THE FUEL AND FOUND OVER A CUP FULL OF WATER IN THE FUEL.

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.