C170 pilot makes precautionary off airport landing.

Attributes
ACN	564370
Time
Date	200210
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vcv.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 180 Skywagon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	564370
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : landed as precaution
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I stopped at vcv to pick up a friend and get some fuel for a pleasure flight and lunch at wjf. I had line service top off the right fuel tank. It took 14 gals (the tank holds 20 gals). I took a fuel sample from the tank and it looked ok. En route to wjf, the engine started to run a little rough. I switched tanks and pushed the mixture in, but the engine only seemed to get worse. We were at 2000 ft AGL and had just passed the el mirage dry lake bed. I circled back over the lake and made an uneventful landing into the wind. By the time I got on the ground, the engine was running normally, but I wanted to check the fuel sumps again. The fuel strainer was clear, but there was about a cup of water in the right fuel tank sump. We sat on the ground for about 15 mins. I drained the sumps again and everything was clear (clean). I ran the engine up and it worked good, so I continued on to wjf without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C170 PLT MAKES PRECAUTIONARY OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I STOPPED AT VCV TO PICK UP A FRIEND AND GET SOME FUEL FOR A PLEASURE FLT AND LUNCH AT WJF. I HAD LINE SVC TOP OFF THE R FUEL TANK. IT TOOK 14 GALS (THE TANK HOLDS 20 GALS). I TOOK A FUEL SAMPLE FROM THE TANK AND IT LOOKED OK. ENRTE TO WJF, THE ENG STARTED TO RUN A LITTLE ROUGH. I SWITCHED TANKS AND PUSHED THE MIXTURE IN, BUT THE ENG ONLY SEEMED TO GET WORSE. WE WERE AT 2000 FT AGL AND HAD JUST PASSED THE EL MIRAGE DRY LAKE BED. I CIRCLED BACK OVER THE LAKE AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG INTO THE WIND. BY THE TIME I GOT ON THE GND, THE ENG WAS RUNNING NORMALLY, BUT I WANTED TO CHK THE FUEL SUMPS AGAIN. THE FUEL STRAINER WAS CLR, BUT THERE WAS ABOUT A CUP OF WATER IN THE R FUEL TANK SUMP. WE SAT ON THE GND FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. I DRAINED THE SUMPS AGAIN AND EVERYTHING WAS CLR (CLEAN). I RAN THE ENG UP AND IT WORKED GOOD, SO I CONTINUED ON TO WJF WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.