Local Area Flight Ends in Precautionary Field Landing After Engine Roughness (N1961P)

Incident Overview and Flight Details A pilot departed on a local area flight and was operating at approximately 1,200 feet AGL after about 1.6 hours of flight. During the flight, the pilot moved the fuel selector from the left fuel tank to the right tank. The engine then began to run rough and lose power. ## Emergency Response and Landing Emergency procedures did not correct the engine roughness, so the pilot selected an open field area for a precautionary landing. The terrain was soft, and during the landing roll the airplane nosed over. During recovery of the airplane, it was turned over onto its landing gear. ## Post-Accident Findings Recovery personnel reported that a check of the fuel tanks revealed about 1 1/2 cups of water in the right fuel tank. Water was not found in the gascolator or the carburetor. After the propeller was replaced, the engine was started and developed 2,700 RPM. ## Weather Conditions The pilot reported that the weather conditions at the time of the accident included broken clouds at 1,500 feet AGL, with light rain.