Incident Overview
The pilot reported performing a thorough preflight inspection of the airplane prior to a one-hour flight. After landing to refuel, he added 30.5 gallons of aviation gasoline to the airplane and performed another preflight inspection, which included draining fuel from the "belly strainer." The pilot then executed an engine run-up and a normal takeoff.
Loss of Engine Power
Shortly after takeoff, when the airplane was about 300 to 400 feet above the ground, the engine began to lose power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane impacted the ground left wing down and bounced. The engine separated from the fuselage, and the airplane came to rest on the main landing gear.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the engine revealed debris in the oil screen, consisting of large carbon and rust deposits. The spark plugs all showed signs of fouling due to carbon deposits, and three of the outboard spark plug electrode gaps were "closed" due to debris lodged in the head of the plugs. There was a small amount of fuel in the carburetor. The fuel was "milky white" in color. The belly drain was sumped, and the fuel was found to contain "large" amounts of water. It was also noted that the wing tank drains were wired closed and could not be sampled.