Incident Overview
Shortly after beginning the climb, the airplane's left engine lost power. Soon thereafter, the right engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot reported being unable to maintain altitude and subsequently executed a forced landing in a field. During the approach, the pilot noted that he "had to climb over power lines [and] stalled [the] aircraft."
Pilot Actions
According to the pilot's statement, he had refueled the airplane with 90 gallons of fuel prior to departure. He conducted a visual check of the fuel level before departure but did not sump the fuel tanks to check for contamination.
Fuel Analysis
Fuel samples were taken from the airplane's left and right main fuel tanks. Each sample contained a fluid on the bottom that resembled water. In contrast, a fuel sample obtained from the refueling truck showed no evidence of water contamination.
Sequence of Events
The pilot's account and the fuel sample results indicate the presence of water in the aircraft's fuel system, which likely contributed to the engines' power loss. However, no other factors are explicitly stated in the investigation report regarding the cause of the power losses or the stall.