What happened
On 12 July 2009, a Glasair aircraft, registration EI-CTG, was performing a private flight near Enniskillen Airfield when the engine ceased operation. While cruising at approximately 3,000 ft, the engine cut out roughly 12 miles from the airfield. In an attempt to address what was believed to be a fuel issue, the pilot cycled the fuel selection between the header tank and the main tank and activated the booster pump, but the engine failed to restart.
The pilot notified Enniskillen of the engine failure and identified a suitable field for an emergency landing. To minimize the landing distance on the short field, the pilot elected to perform the touchdown with the landing gear retracted. The aircraft came to a halt in the field, but the impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries, though the passenger required extraction by emergency services.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the potential for fuel contamination. The aircraft had previously flown to Scotland three days prior to the accident without issue. However, during its stay at Prestwick, the aircraft was parked outdoors during periods of moderate rain.
While the pilot had performed a drain check prior to the flight that showed no signs of water, a post-accident test of fuel sampled from the header tank revealed significant water content. Because the aircraft was destroyed, investigators could not definitively determine if the engine failure was caused by this water or a separate mechanical malfunction.