Accident Overview
On July 13, 2019, at approximately 0850 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Zodiac CH 601XL, registration N601MR, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from Carlisle Airport (N94) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the intended flight to York Airport (THV) in York, Pennsylvania.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. According to FAA airman records, he reported 402.7 total hours of flight experience, with 313 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft Information
The pilot/owner manufactured the airplane in 2009. An FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) issued a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category on November 15, 2010. The airplane was equipped with a Jabiru 3300A, 120-horsepower engine and a Sensenich propeller. Maintenance was conducted under an annual condition inspection program. The most recent condition inspection was completed on November 12, 2018, at 300.5 total aircraft hours. The tachometer at the time of the accident indicated 309.1 hours, 8.6 hours since the last inspection.
Preflight and Flight
The accident occurred during the airplane's first flight of the day. The airplane had been stored outdoors with half-empty fuel tanks in hot, humid weather. During the preflight inspection, the pilot observed water in the fuel tanks and sampled the fuel until it appeared clear of contamination. He then taxied to the fuel pump, added 15 gallons of fuel, restarted the engine, and completed the engine run-up and takeoff roll with no anomalies noted. After takeoff, during the initial climb at about 200 feet above the runway, the engine stopped producing power and the propeller stopped. The pilot elected to touch down on the remaining runway, but the airplane overran the departure end and impacted a ditch.
Post-Accident Examination
The airplane came to rest upright in low brush about 225 feet from the departure end of runway 28. The nose was pitched down, and the nose landing gear was collapsed. An FAA airworthiness inspector found the engine cowling crushed aft and the engine mounts damaged. Fuel drained from the wing tank sumps and gascolator contained water. After recovery, the gascolator was found full of water, and water was present in the fuel lines and carburetor float bowl. Testing of the airport fuel tank did not reveal water, and no other airplanes reported fuel quality issues.
Literature from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and FAA Advisory Circular 20-125 describe water formation in aircraft fuel due to condensation and the importance of draining fuel tank sumps and gently rocking wings during preflight to dislodge trapped water.
At 0856, weather at Capital City Airport (CXY), 15 miles east, reported wind from 240° at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 24°C, dew point 17°C, and altimeter 30.00 inches of mercury.