Narrative:

This flight was a positioning flight to move the airplane to the maintenance facility where it was to receive its normal annual inspection. There were no known issues with the plane; and the work was expected to be done with little trouble found. After a normal startup; taxi; run-up; and takeoff; the engine began misfiring and lost much of its normal power. This began when just over the departure fence; and at an altitude of less than 200 ft. Power was sufficient to maintain level flight in the takeoff confign (10 degrees of flaps); and was continued through departure section of crosswind and downwind section of pattern until approximately abeam the approach end of the runway; at which time the engine stopped producing power altogether. The landing glide was short; and required a 90 degree turn at a very low altitude to make the runway. The airplane stalled as just as the wings were brought level; but the left wing caught the top of a small bush; causing some damage; and a low speed nose-over. There were no injuries; fire; or property damage. The aircraft was righted; and towed back to its normal tie-down space. The pilot has considerable experience with this aircraft; and though the airplane is old; its maintenance record is excellent; and it is considered a reliable plane. During the past week; our area has gotten an unusual amount of rain; and I suspect that because of the design of the fuel fill ports; water had collected in the shallow dishes surrounding the caps and contaminated the fuel. Because of the low temperature on the day of this event; the water was probably in the form of ice until the engine had run long enough to melt it. The botched landing was due to a combination of things; and could have been avoided if the pilot had acted as though the engine would quit immediately instead of counting on a continued production of partial power. A straight-ahead landing in a number of pastures surrounding the airstrip was possible; though bringing the plane back safely to its home base seemed a powerful enough incentive to preclude an off-field landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 LOSES POWER SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. POWER FAILS COMPLETELY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS A POSITIONING FLT TO MOVE THE AIRPLANE TO THE MAINT FACILITY WHERE IT WAS TO RECEIVE ITS NORMAL ANNUAL INSPECTION. THERE WERE NO KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE PLANE; AND THE WORK WAS EXPECTED TO BE DONE WITH LITTLE TROUBLE FOUND. AFTER A NORMAL STARTUP; TAXI; RUN-UP; AND TKOF; THE ENG BEGAN MISFIRING AND LOST MUCH OF ITS NORMAL PWR. THIS BEGAN WHEN JUST OVER THE DEP FENCE; AND AT AN ALT OF LESS THAN 200 FT. PWR WAS SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT IN THE TKOF CONFIGN (10 DEGS OF FLAPS); AND WAS CONTINUED THROUGH DEP SECTION OF XWIND AND DOWNWIND SECTION OF PATTERN UNTIL APPROX ABEAM THE APCH END OF THE RWY; AT WHICH TIME THE ENG STOPPED PRODUCING PWR ALTOGETHER. THE LNDG GLIDE WAS SHORT; AND REQUIRED A 90 DEG TURN AT A VERY LOW ALT TO MAKE THE RWY. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AS JUST AS THE WINGS WERE BROUGHT LEVEL; BUT THE L WING CAUGHT THE TOP OF A SMALL BUSH; CAUSING SOME DAMAGE; AND A LOW SPD NOSE-OVER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; FIRE; OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE ACFT WAS RIGHTED; AND TOWED BACK TO ITS NORMAL TIE-DOWN SPACE. THE PLT HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ACFT; AND THOUGH THE AIRPLANE IS OLD; ITS MAINT RECORD IS EXCELLENT; AND IT IS CONSIDERED A RELIABLE PLANE. DURING THE PAST WK; OUR AREA HAS GOTTEN AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF RAIN; AND I SUSPECT THAT BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL FILL PORTS; WATER HAD COLLECTED IN THE SHALLOW DISHES SURROUNDING THE CAPS AND CONTAMINATED THE FUEL. BECAUSE OF THE LOW TEMP ON THE DAY OF THIS EVENT; THE WATER WAS PROBABLY IN THE FORM OF ICE UNTIL THE ENG HAD RUN LONG ENOUGH TO MELT IT. THE BOTCHED LNDG WAS DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THINGS; AND COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PLT HAD ACTED AS THOUGH THE ENG WOULD QUIT IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF COUNTING ON A CONTINUED PRODUCTION OF PARTIAL PWR. A STRAIGHT-AHEAD LNDG IN A NUMBER OF PASTURES SURROUNDING THE AIRSTRIP WAS POSSIBLE; THOUGH BRINGING THE PLANE BACK SAFELY TO ITS HOME BASE SEEMED A POWERFUL ENOUGH INCENTIVE TO PRECLUDE AN OFF-FIELD LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.