What happened
The aircraft had been stationary on the ground for two years prior to the flight. Although it had undergone several run-ups during that period, the pilot discovered water contamination in the fuel system before departure. There were approximately 20 gallons of fuel in each tank at the time of inspection. The pilot drained the fuel until no further water was observed.
Despite the overdue annual inspection, the pilot elected to ferry the aircraft to another airport for maintenance without obtaining a ferry permit. During the takeoff roll from runway 15, the left engine produced a popping noise before ceasing operation. The pilot feathered the left propeller and initiated a circle to return to the airport.
The pilot attempted to land on runway 15 but realized he was too close to the runway threshold to complete the approach safely. He continued the circuit toward runway 33. However, the right engine began losing power during this maneuver. To avoid trees in the vicinity, the pilot executed a forced landing with the wheels up in a field adjacent to the airport. The right engine stopped running just before impact.
The investigation
Post-acc examination revealed that water contamination was present in all four fuel tanks.