Incident Details
The pilot reported that the aircraft had been parked outdoors during the winter months and was not flown much. Three days prior to the accident flight, during a preflight inspection, he observed a puddle of water under the aircraft's low point. He noted that this was unusual because the tarmac was dry. He drained the fuel lines using the gascolator without testing the drained fuel, but he tested all four fuel tanks. The right tanks tested fine, while the two left tanks contained an estimated total of one gallon of water. The subsequent flight, which included a fuel stop, was uneventful.
Preflight Inspection on the Day of the Accident
On the day of the accident, the pilot again preflighted the aircraft and drained approximately half a cup of water from the left side. The first leg of the trip was flown at an altitude of 12,000 feet MSL, and the aircraft was refueled before continuing.
Accident Flight
After departure, the aircraft was cleared to climb to flight level 240. The pilot reported the outside air temperature as -27 degrees Celsius. Shortly after reaching altitude, he noticed a slight engine roughness. He attempted several troubleshooting procedures to resolve the issue but was unsuccessful. When the aircraft was approximately 5 to 7 miles from the airport, the engine ceased developing power. The pilot executed a forced landing under dark night conditions to an unlighted landing site. He stated that he descended into total blackness.
Post-Accident Examination
Following the accident, an FAA Inspector examined the aircraft and drained several ounces of water from the left wing tank. No anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation.