Primary finding
Probable cause
The water contaminating the fuel and the pilot's inadequate preflight which failed to eliminate the water from the fuel system.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
This was the airplane's first flight after winter. The pilot drained the fuel tank sumps and gascolator and found a small amount of water. Twenty minutes after takeoff, the engine lost power and the pilot completed a forced landing on the tundra. The airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The pilot removed the fuel line from the gascolator to the carburetor and found water in the fuel line.
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 28, 1995, at 2130 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N83622, registered to and operated by the pilot, experienced a power loss and was forced to land on the tundra near Galena, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Galena and the destination was Huslia, Alaska. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. According to the pilot, he was in cruise flight when the engine lost power. He landed on the tundra and the airplane nosed over. He disconnected the fuel line between the gascolator and the carburetor and found that the line was full of water. This was the airplane's first flight after winter. The pilot stated, he drained the fuel sumps and gascolator during the preflight and found a small amount of water. -