Narrative:

I was flying over the airport for pictures of the new runway construction; the aircraft was configured for landing with the flaps and landing gear extended. As full throttle for a departure climb was added the engine came up to maximum climb power for about 10 seconds then the engine abruptly lost power. The gear and flaps were retracted to reduce drag because the airport was past the point of return and restart procedures were followed. The tanks were switched; the auxiliary fuel pump was used; magnetos checked with no restart. A suitable plowed field was within glide range and the plane was set down with no damage to the aircraft or other property on the ground. Upon inspection by my a&P the engine would not re-start and the fuel line was removed from the carburetor showing signs of water. The gascolator was also full of water upon inspection. The plane had been sumped before the flight and the gascolator was also drained with only small water droplets present. The mechanic thinks the rubber fuel bladder has developed a ridge in the bottom of the tank; trapping water away from the sump. As the plane was maneuvered during the short flight the water was dislodged and made it's way into the fuel sump. The plane will be moved by ground transport to the airport where the fuel bladders will be removed and the fuel system will be serviced.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the rubber bladder in the fuel tank was the original installation from 1952. His a&P mechanic was correct about suspecting that a ridge had developed over time on the lower inside surface of the wing tank. This original fuel bladder had snaps along the outer sides of the bladder skin to secure the skin to the wing tank sidewalls; but none for the lower skin section to the lower wing structure. As a result; over time; the skin worked and shifted inside the wing tank; developing a ridge line and actually acting as a small dam; not allowing for proper sumping of water from the bladder. His aircraft is parked in an open air style hangar where moisture accumulation is very common on the wing surfaces. Reporter also stated the new fuel bladder has velcro strips on the external lower surface of the fuel cell; allowing for more even and stable securing of the bladder skin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 35-BONANZA PILOT FLYING OVER THE AIRPORT ABRUPTLY LOST ENGINE POWER. FUEL TANKS SWITCHED; AUX FUEL PUMP USED AND MAGNETOS CHECKED. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. ACFT LANDED IN PLOWED FIELD. NO DAMAGE. WATER IN FUEL TANK DUE TO WRINKLE IN RUBBER FUEL CELL BLADDER NOT ALLOWING TANK TO BE FULLY DRAINED OF WATER AND CONTAMINANTS.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING OVER THE AIRPORT FOR PICTURES OF THE NEW RUNWAY CONSTRUCTION; THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR LANDING WITH THE FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. AS FULL THROTTLE FOR A DEPARTURE CLIMB WAS ADDED THE ENGINE CAME UP TO MAX CLIMB POWER FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS THEN THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY LOST POWER. THE GEAR AND FLAPS WERE RETRACTED TO REDUCE DRAG BECAUSE THE AIRPORT WAS PAST THE POINT OF RETURN AND RESTART PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED. THE TANKS WERE SWITCHED; THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP WAS USED; MAGNETOS CHECKED WITH NO RESTART. A SUITABLE PLOWED FIELD WAS WITHIN GLIDE RANGE AND THE PLANE WAS SET DOWN WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR OTHER PROPERTY ON THE GROUND. UPON INSPECTION BY MY A&P THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RE-START AND THE FUEL LINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE CARBURETOR SHOWING SIGNS OF WATER. THE GASCOLATOR WAS ALSO FULL OF WATER UPON INSPECTION. THE PLANE HAD BEEN SUMPED BEFORE THE FLIGHT AND THE GASCOLATOR WAS ALSO DRAINED WITH ONLY SMALL WATER DROPLETS PRESENT. THE MECHANIC THINKS THE RUBBER FUEL BLADDER HAS DEVELOPED A RIDGE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK; TRAPPING WATER AWAY FROM THE SUMP. AS THE PLANE WAS MANEUVERED DURING THE SHORT FLIGHT THE WATER WAS DISLODGED AND MADE IT'S WAY INTO THE FUEL SUMP. THE PLANE WILL BE MOVED BY GROUND TRANSPORT TO THE AIRPORT WHERE THE FUEL BLADDERS WILL BE REMOVED AND THE FUEL SYSTEM WILL BE SERVICED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE RUBBER BLADDER IN THE FUEL TANK WAS THE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION FROM 1952. HIS A&P MECHANIC WAS CORRECT ABOUT SUSPECTING THAT A RIDGE HAD DEVELOPED OVER TIME ON THE LOWER INSIDE SURFACE OF THE WING TANK. THIS ORIGINAL FUEL BLADDER HAD SNAPS ALONG THE OUTER SIDES OF THE BLADDER SKIN TO SECURE THE SKIN TO THE WING TANK SIDEWALLS; BUT NONE FOR THE LOWER SKIN SECTION TO THE LOWER WING STRUCTURE. AS A RESULT; OVER TIME; THE SKIN WORKED AND SHIFTED INSIDE THE WING TANK; DEVELOPING A RIDGE LINE AND ACTUALLY ACTING AS A SMALL DAM; NOT ALLOWING FOR PROPER SUMPING OF WATER FROM THE BLADDER. HIS ACFT IS PARKED IN AN OPEN AIR STYLE HANGAR WHERE MOISTURE ACCUMULATION IS VERY COMMON ON THE WING SURFACES. REPORTER ALSO STATED THE NEW FUEL BLADDER HAS VELCRO STRIPS ON THE EXTERNAL LOWER SURFACE OF THE FUEL CELL; ALLOWING FOR MORE EVEN AND STABLE SECURING OF THE BLADDER SKIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.