Accident Sequence
The flight departed from runway 07. As the pilot initiated a right climbing turn, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot responded by applying carburetor heat and verifying the fuel tank selector position, but efforts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. At an altitude of approximately 200 feet above ground level, the pilot turned the airplane back toward the runway.
The airplane landed hard on the runway surface. The impact caused the left main landing gear to collapse, and the left wing struck the runway. The airplane came to rest on the runway.
Fuel Contamination
No mechanical anomalies with the airplane were identified prior to the accident. However, the mechanic who recovered the airplane removed more than a pint of water from the right wing fuel sump.
The pilot reported that he had fueled the airplane with 87-octane automotive gasoline from 5-gallon cans before the flight. He further stated that he should have strained the fuel through a water trap filter to prevent contamination.