History of the Flight
The pilot of Jabiru J430 G-KIDD planned a short recency and maintenance check flight. After an uneventful start-up and takeoff from grass Runway 23, the aircraft climbed to about 2,000 ft and headed west for general handling. Weather was good with wind from about 240° at 12 kt. While in an orbit, the engine began running roughly. The pilot throttled back, checked engine indications, selected carburettor heat, and turned back toward the airstrip. The engine then spluttered and stopped; a restart was unsuccessful. Realizing he was committed to a forced landing, the pilot selected best glide speed and continued toward the airstrip from the southwest. Too low to approach Runway 23, he chose to land with a tailwind on Runway 05. Over the runway, the aircraft floated at about 8 to 10 ft. As the end of the runway approached, the pilot pitched the aircraft's nose into the runway to stop, causing the nose leg to collapse. The pilot vacated the aircraft uninjured.
Post-Accident Findings
Upon draining the fuel, a significant amount of discoloured water was discovered. The carburettor float was also full of water. The pilot believed that, given the amount of water, it was present in the fuel he last uplifted six weeks earlier. He had not performed a fuel drain check for water prior to departure.