History of Flight
On June 15, 2009, about 1145 eastern daylight time, a Cessna U206F, registration N33243, operated by Waters Aero-Marine, Inc., was substantially damaged following a loss of engine power and a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Islesboro Airport (57B), Islesboro, Maine. The certificated commercial pilot sustained a minor injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cargo flight destined for Knox County Regional Airport (RKD), Rockland, Maine. A company flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 135.
According to the pilot, the accident flight was the fourth of the day. During preflight at about 0600, the pilot sumped the fuel tanks and observed water in the samples. He continued sumping until the fuel samples were clear of water. The airplane accrued 50 minutes of flight time during the three previous flights.
During the accident flight, engine start-up prior to takeoff was “normal,” and the airplane idled for 1 to 1.5 minutes while the GPS acquired its signal. The pilot lined up on runway 19, scanned the instruments, changed the waypoint in the GPS, added full power, and completed a normal takeoff. He stated, “When I cleared the departure end of the runway, the power started to come back. There was a slight stumble to it, and then the power started slowly coming off. The throttle was full, and nothing happened, the power kept coming down.” The pilot estimated the airplane was 200 to 300 feet above ground level when engine power decreased. He rejected an open field to his left for landing due to lack of altitude and glide distance, and chose to land straight ahead in heavily wooded terrain, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot egressed through the baggage door, later re-entered and turned off the fuel, throttle, mixture, and battery, then used his cell phone to contact company base operations.
Personnel Information
A review of FAA airman records revealed the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine, airplane single-engine, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine and a ground instructor certificate. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on April 23, 2009. The pilot reported 3,625 total flight hours, with 350 hours in make and model. He had worked for the company for 5 years, primarily during summer months.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1975 and had accrued 6,887 total aircraft hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed May 16, 2009, at 6,836 aircraft hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1153, weather at Knox County Regional Airport (RKD), Rockland, Maine, included an overcast ceiling at 1,600 feet, wind from 030 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 19 degrees Celsius, and dew point 5 degrees Celsius.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by FAA inspectors on the accident day revealed substantial damage to the airframe. Fuel leaking prevented a detailed examination. Fuel drained from the right header tank contained water and a mass resembling a snail (land mollusk), which subsequently dissolved in the sample jar but left remains suspended in water. The sample was retained for testing by the fuel wholesaler.
On June 17, 2009, a crew of three FAA-certificated mechanics disassembled the airplane and drained approximately 21 gallons of fuel from the left wing through the fuel system with no obstructions noted. The right wing was separated from the airplane except for "1 or 2 control cables." Despite instructions forwarded through the FAA, the recovery crew performed troubleshooting and testing. According to their report, the engine started immediately using the airplane’s battery power and ran continuously using the airplane’s own fuel system, though an oil leak was noted due to impact damage.
Tests and Research
On June 18, 2009, FAA personnel examined the wreckage and harvested fuel at the operator’s hangar. No water was found in the tanks, but traces of water were noted around the refueling cap plates. One FAA inspector noted that one fuel drain sump was accessed through the cargo pod mounted to the bottom of the airframe, making routine fuel sampling "difficult."
Fuel sample test results from an Exxon Mobil research laboratory revealed the sample contained "plasticizers," present in many greases, droplets of water, and "black particulate" matter containing plasticizers and methyl cellulose, a material commonly used in filters.