SMA HAS ENG FAILURE 3 TIMES ON RETURN TO ARPT.

Narrative

ON A RETURN FLT TO SAN CARLOS ARPT FROM THE HALF MOON BAY AREA; THE ENG ABRUPTLY QUIT ON A SINGLE ENG CITABRIA 7ECA. THE ENG RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE EMER RESTART PROC. APPROX 5 MINS LATER THE ENG ABRUPTLY QUIT AGAIN AND AGAIN RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE RESTART PROC. BTWN THESE 2 EVENTS I OBTAINED THE SAN CARLOS ATIS AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND AT SAN CARLOS TO THE TWR. APPROX 2 MI FROM THE SAN CARLOS ARPT (ABOUT 2 MINS SINCE THE LAST OCCURRENCE) THE ENG QUIT AGAIN AND AGAIN RESPONDED TO THE RESTART PROC. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED SAN CARLOS TWR BUT REQUIRED 4 ATTEMPTS TO GET A RESPONSE DUE TO A BUSY PATTERN. ONCE IN CONTACT I NOTIFIED THE TWR 'I AM HAVING ENG PROBS.' THE TWR RESPONDED WITH AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC FOR LNDG; STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 12. THE ENG CONTINUED TO RUN SMOOTHLY AND LNDG; TAXI; AND SHUTDOWN APCH PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AN ARPT REPRESENTATIVE DROVE OVER AND REQUESTED INFO ON WHAT HAPPENED. I RPTED THE EVENT AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE AIRPLANE CAME OUT AND WE SUSPECTED WATER IN THE FUEL. A FUEL SAMPLE SHOWED WATER PRESENT. THE ARPT REPRESENTATIVE TOOK MY NAME; FAA NUMBER; DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER AND RPT IN WRITING. HE WAS SHOWN THE FUEL SAMPLE WITH THE WATER IN IT. APPROX 6-7 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE WING TANKS (APPROX 1/4 TANK). PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SHOWED SOME WATER. THE FUEL WAS DRAINED UNTIL NO WATER WAS DETECTED IN THE SAMPLER. THE OWNER/OPERATOR AND ARPT REPRESENTATIVE SUGGESTED NEXT TIME ROCKING THE AIRPLANE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE DRAINING FOR WATER DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION IN CASE THERE IS ANY CONDENSATION FORMING ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANKS OVERNIGHT WHEN THE TANKS ARE LESS THAN FULL. ONE ADDITIONAL PIECE OF INFO: APPROX 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE FLT; THE PLT EXECUTED 2 BARREL ROLLS IN THE AEROBATIC CERTIFIED CITABRIA. THIS DID NOT LIKELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE ENG PROBS. NOTE: THE ARPT REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THE TWR TOLD HIM THAT I DECLARED AN EMER. I NEVER DID THIS (SAID THIS). MY ONLY MESSAGE TO THE TWR WAS THAT I WAS HAVING ENG PROBS. ONE OTHER PLT IN THE PATTERN CONTACTED THE TWR AND SAID 'I WILL...(CHANGE MY PATTERN)...TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE EMER SIT.'