Accident Overview
On November 13, 2020, about 2004 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 152, registration N757PY, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Bernardino, California. The pilot sustained a minor injury. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight.
Flight History
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane from Chino Airport (CNO), Chino, California, to Ernest A. Love Field (PRC), Prescott, Arizona, for his employer, who had just purchased the airplane. Prior to departure, the pilot met with the chief pilot of the organization that previously owned the airplane. The chief pilot provided the pilot with the airplane’s normal and emergency checklists. Together, they performed the preflight inspection, which revealed no water during the fuel sump of each wing; however, water was detected when fuel was sumped from the gascolator. The chief pilot then took three additional fuel samples from the gascolator, which revealed no water. Subsequently, the pilot performed an engine runup with no anomalies noted and departed.
Engine Power Loss
About 10 to 15 minutes after departure, the engine rpm suddenly decreased to about 1,600. The pilot performed the emergency checklist, but the loss of engine power was not resolved. He elected to land at San Bernardino International Airport (SBD), San Bernardino, California, but had no memory of events after that decision. The airplane came to rest about 1.14 nautical miles southwest of the departure end of SBD runway 24. The structural damage to both wings and the fuselage occurred due to the impact sequence.
Fuel and Examination
The pilot reported that the airplane had a total of 26 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel on board at the time of departure. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed water in the right fuel tank, the gascolator, the carburetor inlet hose, and the carburetor bowl. No other anomalies were observed with the airframe or engine.
Maintenance Records
A review of maintenance records revealed that upon completion of an aircraft inspection on November 5, 2020, 8 days before the accident and at a tach time of 8,782.6 hours, a maintenance logbook entry stated: “Found contaminated fuel in the fuel system. Drained system, refueled with 100 LL AVGAS. Work is performed with current Cessna 152 maintenance manual. Engine ran ok."