Narrative:

On dec/xa/99, I conducted a normal preflight at hnl in a C402. I had the tip tanks topped off. I checked all fuel sumps with no notable water and did not notice any problems during runup or while flying the aircraft from hnl to dillingham airport. At dillingham airport, I was conducting skydive operations. After my second skydive drop of the day, I descended and was the sole occupant in the aircraft at this time. After reaching approximately 3000 ft indicated altitude, I entered on the 45 degree to downwind for runway 8 at dillingham airport, when the left engine lost power. After conducting the emergency checklist procedures and being unable to restart it, I shut down and secured the left engine. I informed dillingham unicom that I was operating on a single engine and to keep any traffic advised. I did not declare an emergency as I had plenty of altitude and my right engine was running normal. I made an uneventful approach and landing without any other problems. After landing, I visually inspected the left engine and did not notice any anomalies, but did drain a small amount of water from the left wingtip tank sump. I started the left engine and it ran rough. I then contacted my employer who dispatched his mechanic. After meeting with the mechanic at dillingham airport and discussing the problem, he stated he would inspect the engine later in the day. I again met with the mechanic who stated that he worked on, started, and ran the left engine. He said that it was running normal and stated that it was airworthy to fly back to hnl airport. I was not aware at that time whether an entry had been made in the aircraft logbooks that the aircraft was airworthy before flight, as I was given this information verbally by the mechanic. I believed that it was the employer's responsibility to verify an entry be made in the aircraft logbooks. I also believed at that time that either the mechanic had the logbooks and had (or would) make the proper entries, although I did not see them. I have since been reassured by my employer that the logbooks were properly signed by the mechanic. I conducted another preflight, drained all fuel sumps, started the aircraft, did a normal runup, and did not notice any roughness or abnormality. At this time, I departed alone from dillingham airport and flew in proximity of dillingham airport as a precaution for approximately 30 mins. No abnormalities were noted, so I flew the aircraft back to hnl. I believe the problem was caused by water in the fuel system and only manifested itself on descent. I believe the repetitious ascent/descent generated the water that caused my left engine to quit. I think that draining all sumps after each skydive drop will alleviate the amount of water in the tanks due to condensation, sloshing, etc. Additionally, in the future I will personally verify that the aircraft logbooks have been signed off before flight and not take verbal approval or assume that such has been done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C402 SKYDIVING COMMERCIAL PLT LOSES AN ENG WHILE ENTERING A 45 DEG ENTRY TO TFC PATTERN AT HDH, HI.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/99, I CONDUCTED A NORMAL PREFLT AT HNL IN A C402. I HAD THE TIP TANKS TOPPED OFF. I CHKED ALL FUEL SUMPS WITH NO NOTABLE WATER AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY PROBS DURING RUNUP OR WHILE FLYING THE ACFT FROM HNL TO DILLINGHAM ARPT. AT DILLINGHAM ARPT, I WAS CONDUCTING SKYDIVE OPS. AFTER MY SECOND SKYDIVE DROP OF THE DAY, I DSNDED AND WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE ACFT AT THIS TIME. AFTER REACHING APPROX 3000 FT INDICATED ALT, I ENTERED ON THE 45 DEG TO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 AT DILLINGHAM ARPT, WHEN THE L ENG LOST PWR. AFTER CONDUCTING THE EMER CHKLIST PROCS AND BEING UNABLE TO RESTART IT, I SHUT DOWN AND SECURED THE L ENG. I INFORMED DILLINGHAM UNICOM THAT I WAS OPERATING ON A SINGLE ENG AND TO KEEP ANY TFC ADVISED. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS I HAD PLENTY OF ALT AND MY R ENG WAS RUNNING NORMAL. I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBS. AFTER LNDG, I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE L ENG AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY ANOMALIES, BUT DID DRAIN A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER FROM THE L WINGTIP TANK SUMP. I STARTED THE L ENG AND IT RAN ROUGH. I THEN CONTACTED MY EMPLOYER WHO DISPATCHED HIS MECH. AFTER MEETING WITH THE MECH AT DILLINGHAM ARPT AND DISCUSSING THE PROB, HE STATED HE WOULD INSPECT THE ENG LATER IN THE DAY. I AGAIN MET WITH THE MECH WHO STATED THAT HE WORKED ON, STARTED, AND RAN THE L ENG. HE SAID THAT IT WAS RUNNING NORMAL AND STATED THAT IT WAS AIRWORTHY TO FLY BACK TO HNL ARPT. I WAS NOT AWARE AT THAT TIME WHETHER AN ENTRY HAD BEEN MADE IN THE ACFT LOGBOOKS THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY BEFORE FLT, AS I WAS GIVEN THIS INFO VERBALLY BY THE MECH. I BELIEVED THAT IT WAS THE EMPLOYER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO VERIFY AN ENTRY BE MADE IN THE ACFT LOGBOOKS. I ALSO BELIEVED AT THAT TIME THAT EITHER THE MECH HAD THE LOGBOOKS AND HAD (OR WOULD) MAKE THE PROPER ENTRIES, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT SEE THEM. I HAVE SINCE BEEN REASSURED BY MY EMPLOYER THAT THE LOGBOOKS WERE PROPERLY SIGNED BY THE MECH. I CONDUCTED ANOTHER PREFLT, DRAINED ALL FUEL SUMPS, STARTED THE ACFT, DID A NORMAL RUNUP, AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY ROUGHNESS OR ABNORMALITY. AT THIS TIME, I DEPARTED ALONE FROM DILLINGHAM ARPT AND FLEW IN PROX OF DILLINGHAM ARPT AS A PRECAUTION FOR APPROX 30 MINS. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED, SO I FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO HNL. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY WATER IN THE FUEL SYS AND ONLY MANIFESTED ITSELF ON DSCNT. I BELIEVE THE REPETITIOUS ASCENT/DSCNT GENERATED THE WATER THAT CAUSED MY L ENG TO QUIT. I THINK THAT DRAINING ALL SUMPS AFTER EACH SKYDIVE DROP WILL ALLEVIATE THE AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE TANKS DUE TO CONDENSATION, SLOSHING, ETC. ADDITIONALLY, IN THE FUTURE I WILL PERSONALLY VERIFY THAT THE ACFT LOGBOOKS HAVE BEEN SIGNED OFF BEFORE FLT AND NOT TAKE VERBAL APPROVAL OR ASSUME THAT SUCH HAS BEEN DONE.

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.