Accident Details
On March 13, 2009, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-160, registration N338WS, owned by Wings of Hope, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a plowed field near Shelbyville, Indiana. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 ferry flight.
The flight departed Shelbyville Municipal Airport (GEZ) around 1415, destined for Spirit of St Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Missouri. The airplane had been purchased by Wings of Hope and received a 100-hour inspection in Columbus, Ohio, before flying to GEZ. There, the airport manager topped off the main tanks with 100 low lead aviation gasoline.
Flight and Power Loss
According to the airport manager, the pilot mentioned the airplane had not flown for four years and that this was its ferry flight. The pilot stated he could not remove all water from the fuel system and expected more water would appear due to sloshing during the flight from Columbus. The pilot noted no contamination was found during preflight.
During climb at about 4,000 feet above mean sea level, the pilot experienced a loss of left engine power. He activated the auxiliary pumps and switched fuel tanks but could not restart the engine or feather the propeller. The subsequent wheels-up landing resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Examination Findings
An examination of the airplane revealed water in the fuel. No other anomalies were identified with the aircraft.