Beechcraft pilot returns to land with rough engine from test flight and finds water in fuel.

Attributes
ACN	450330
Time
Date	199909
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mvy.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mvy.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Sundowner 23
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : preflight
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 29000 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	450330
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Start and taxi were uneventful, runup normal, but on takeoff power application engine faltered and quit. I restarted and taxied back to analyze the engine. Once again on takeoff power application, the engine coughed and I aborted and taxied to the runup pad for further checks. I noticed the carburetor heat lever was not fully closed and I switched tanks. Engine continued running normally for taxi and runup. Encouraged by the carburetor heat lever I departed for 2 touch-and-goes with everything normal. Following the second tough-and-go the engine faltered and lost power. I quickly did a 180 degree turn and obtained landing clearance and landed. I have recently returned to GA after 30 yrs of jet flying and a brief period obtaining a CFI in a cessna 210 about 15 yrs ago. My preflight was careful and complete. Fuel tank sumps were drained with no water separation noted in the plastic tube. This was my mistake. There was no separation because it was all water. I find it hard to see the pale blue of 100LL, so in future I will smell and feel as well as look and my passenger will wrinkle their noses because I'm sure I'll smell like gasoline.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECHCRAFT PLT RETURNS TO LAND WITH ROUGH ENG FROM TEST FLT AND FINDS WATER IN FUEL.

Narrative: START AND TAXI WERE UNEVENTFUL, RUNUP NORMAL, BUT ON TKOF PWR APPLICATION ENG FALTERED AND QUIT. I RESTARTED AND TAXIED BACK TO ANALYZE THE ENG. ONCE AGAIN ON TKOF PWR APPLICATION, THE ENG COUGHED AND I ABORTED AND TAXIED TO THE RUNUP PAD FOR FURTHER CHKS. I NOTICED THE CARB HEAT LEVER WAS NOT FULLY CLOSED AND I SWITCHED TANKS. ENG CONTINUED RUNNING NORMALLY FOR TAXI AND RUNUP. ENCOURAGED BY THE CARB HEAT LEVER I DEPARTED FOR 2 TOUCH-AND-GOES WITH EVERYTHING NORMAL. FOLLOWING THE SECOND TOUGH-AND-GO THE ENG FALTERED AND LOST PWR. I QUICKLY DID A 180 DEG TURN AND OBTAINED LNDG CLRNC AND LANDED. I HAVE RECENTLY RETURNED TO GA AFTER 30 YRS OF JET FLYING AND A BRIEF PERIOD OBTAINING A CFI IN A CESSNA 210 ABOUT 15 YRS AGO. MY PREFLT WAS CAREFUL AND COMPLETE. FUEL TANK SUMPS WERE DRAINED WITH NO WATER SEPARATION NOTED IN THE PLASTIC TUBE. THIS WAS MY MISTAKE. THERE WAS NO SEPARATION BECAUSE IT WAS ALL WATER. I FIND IT HARD TO SEE THE PALE BLUE OF 100LL, SO IN FUTURE I WILL SMELL AND FEEL AS WELL AS LOOK AND MY PAX WILL WRINKLE THEIR NOSES BECAUSE I'M SURE I'LL SMELL LIKE GASOLINE.

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.