Mooney -20E engine failure just after takeoff pgd. Pilot lands straight ahead.

Attributes
ACN	444974
Time
Date	199908
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pgd.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 E Super 21
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : straight in departure : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	444974
Person 2
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Weather Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Newly bought aircraft just out of maintenance. I took it for a test flight from venice, fl, to make some touch and goes in punta gorda's charlotte county airport. On the way I practiced some steep turns and stalls. I was using right wing fuel. For my second touch and go I switched tank on downwind (to maintain lateral balance) about 1/2 hour into the flight. Upon takeoff on that second touch and go the aircraft's engine failed 200 ft above ground. I immediately pitched down to maintain landing speed (80 mph) and landed on the little that was left of the runway and rolled out on the grass beyond it. By the time I came to a stop I was 2 ft from fence (airport boundary). No damage. After inspection of the engine by mechanic, it appeared the right tank contained a lot of water (several gals). It appeared the aircraft had been sitting outside the maintenance hangar during a very strong downpour and its left fuel cap is inefficient and let the rainwater in. I had sumped the aircraft and noticed nothing abnormal but I should have shaken the wings to free water from rib during preflight. As it turned out the steep turns did the job of bringing the water near fuel line intake. Conclusion: always shake wings from tip before sumping. Be particularly alert if aircraft was exposed to rain. Verify integrity of fuel caps.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY -20E ENG FAILURE JUST AFTER TKOF PGD. PLT LANDS STRAIGHT AHEAD.

Narrative: NEWLY BOUGHT ACFT JUST OUT OF MAINT. I TOOK IT FOR A TEST FLT FROM VENICE, FL, TO MAKE SOME TOUCH AND GOES IN PUNTA GORDA'S CHARLOTTE COUNTY ARPT. ON THE WAY I PRACTICED SOME STEEP TURNS AND STALLS. I WAS USING R WING FUEL. FOR MY SECOND TOUCH AND GO I SWITCHED TANK ON DOWNWIND (TO MAINTAIN LATERAL BAL) ABOUT 1/2 HR INTO THE FLT. UPON TKOF ON THAT SECOND TOUCH AND GO THE ACFT'S ENG FAILED 200 FT ABOVE GND. I IMMEDIATELY PITCHED DOWN TO MAINTAIN LNDG SPD (80 MPH) AND LANDED ON THE LITTLE THAT WAS LEFT OF THE RWY AND ROLLED OUT ON THE GRASS BEYOND IT. BY THE TIME I CAME TO A STOP I WAS 2 FT FROM FENCE (ARPT BOUNDARY). NO DAMAGE. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ENG BY MECH, IT APPEARED THE R TANK CONTAINED A LOT OF WATER (SEVERAL GALS). IT APPEARED THE ACFT HAD BEEN SITTING OUTSIDE THE MAINT HANGAR DURING A VERY STRONG DOWNPOUR AND ITS L FUEL CAP IS INEFFICIENT AND LET THE RAINWATER IN. I HAD SUMPED THE ACFT AND NOTICED NOTHING ABNORMAL BUT I SHOULD HAVE SHAKEN THE WINGS TO FREE WATER FROM RIB DURING PREFLT. AS IT TURNED OUT THE STEEP TURNS DID THE JOB OF BRINGING THE WATER NEAR FUEL LINE INTAKE. CONCLUSION: ALWAYS SHAKE WINGS FROM TIP BEFORE SUMPING. BE PARTICULARLY ALERT IF ACFT WAS EXPOSED TO RAIN. VERIFY INTEGRITY OF FUEL CAPS.

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.