What happened
The aircraft experienced an engine failure during flight, necessitating a forced landing that resulted in the collapse of the nose gear. The pilot was the owner of the aircraft, which had not been flown for over nine months. He was conducting a recheck flight with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) to maintain currency. Prior to departure, the owner conducted a preflight inspection and reported finding no water in the fuel sumps. The CFI did not participate in or witness this preflight but accepted the owner's assessment based on previous observations of the owner's preflight procedures.
The flight proceeded normally until the CFI initiated several steep turns. Shortly after these maneuvers, while the owner was controlling the aircraft, the engine failed to respond to throttle inputs. The CFI took control to manage the emergency but was unable to restart the engine. Consequently, a forced landing was executed.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed significant water contamination within the fuel system. Investigators found water in both the fuel lines and the carburetor. During the inspection, one cup of water was drained from the gascolator. The aircraft is equipped with two 18-gallon fuel tanks located in the wings. These tanks are positioned level enough that water can accumulate along the entire bottom surface without necessarily collecting at the fuel outlet lines, potentially allowing contamination to bypass standard sump checks if not thoroughly drained.
Findings
The primary contributing factor was the presence of water in the fuel system, which led to engine failure. The accumulation of water was facilitated by the aircraft's tank design and the lack of recent flight activity. The CFI's reliance on the owner's preflight assessment without independent verification played a role in the sequence of events.