C150 LOSES POWER SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. POWER FAILS COMPLETELY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative

THIS FLT WAS A POSITIONING FLT TO MOVE THE AIRPLANE TO THE MAINT FACILITY WHERE IT WAS TO RECEIVE ITS NORMAL ANNUAL INSPECTION. THERE WERE NO KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE PLANE; AND THE WORK WAS EXPECTED TO BE DONE WITH LITTLE TROUBLE FOUND. AFTER A NORMAL STARTUP; TAXI; RUN-UP; AND TKOF; THE ENG BEGAN MISFIRING AND LOST MUCH OF ITS NORMAL PWR. THIS BEGAN WHEN JUST OVER THE DEP FENCE; AND AT AN ALT OF LESS THAN 200 FT. PWR WAS SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT IN THE TKOF CONFIGN (10 DEGS OF FLAPS); AND WAS CONTINUED THROUGH DEP SECTION OF XWIND AND DOWNWIND SECTION OF PATTERN UNTIL APPROX ABEAM THE APCH END OF THE RWY; AT WHICH TIME THE ENG STOPPED PRODUCING PWR ALTOGETHER. THE LNDG GLIDE WAS SHORT; AND REQUIRED A 90 DEG TURN AT A VERY LOW ALT TO MAKE THE RWY. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AS JUST AS THE WINGS WERE BROUGHT LEVEL; BUT THE L WING CAUGHT THE TOP OF A SMALL BUSH; CAUSING SOME DAMAGE; AND A LOW SPD NOSE-OVER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; FIRE; OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE ACFT WAS RIGHTED; AND TOWED BACK TO ITS NORMAL TIE-DOWN SPACE. THE PLT HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ACFT; AND THOUGH THE AIRPLANE IS OLD; ITS MAINT RECORD IS EXCELLENT; AND IT IS CONSIDERED A RELIABLE PLANE. DURING THE PAST WK; OUR AREA HAS GOTTEN AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF RAIN; AND I SUSPECT THAT BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL FILL PORTS; WATER HAD COLLECTED IN THE SHALLOW DISHES SURROUNDING THE CAPS AND CONTAMINATED THE FUEL. BECAUSE OF THE LOW TEMP ON THE DAY OF THIS EVENT; THE WATER WAS PROBABLY IN THE FORM OF ICE UNTIL THE ENG HAD RUN LONG ENOUGH TO MELT IT. THE BOTCHED LNDG WAS DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THINGS; AND COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PLT HAD ACTED AS THOUGH THE ENG WOULD QUIT IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF COUNTING ON A CONTINUED PRODUCTION OF PARTIAL PWR. A STRAIGHT-AHEAD LNDG IN A NUMBER OF PASTURES SURROUNDING THE AIRSTRIP WAS POSSIBLE; THOUGH BRINGING THE PLANE BACK SAFELY TO ITS HOME BASE SEEMED A POWERFUL ENOUGH INCENTIVE TO PRECLUDE AN OFF-FIELD LNDG.