Water in fuel leads to serious injuries — General Aviation News

Nov 10, 2023

By General Aviation News Staff · May 5, 2023 · 8 Comments

The pilot reported the Beech B24R was fueled from four identical fuel containers kept in the flying club hangar. One container was already full. He took the other three containers to the fuel pump, filled them with 100 low-lead aviation fuel, and returned to the airplane. He added about 10 gallons of fuel to each wing fuel tank from the four containers.

During the preflight inspection, he sumped the fuel tanks and did not observe any contamination.

The engine started without hesitation, and the before takeoff run-up, takeoff, and initial climb out were normal.

The right fuel tank was selected for the takeoff and initial climb, however he then switched the left fuel tank.

Shortly after changing tanks, the engine lost power. His efforts to restore engine power were not successful, and he executed a forced landing to an interstate highway near New Lenox, Illinois. The airplane hit a concrete barrier wall during the landing.

The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, while one passenger sustained minor injuries.

A post-accident examination recovered approximately 2-1/2 gallons of water from the left fuel tank. No water was detected in the right fuel tank. No anomalies with respect to the engine assembly or the airframe fuel system were observed.

An individual associated with the flying club reported that he was cleaning an airplane in the hangar the day before the accident. He had used a fuel container to get water and marked it "water for cleaning."

At the end of the day, he left the container next to the airplane with the intention of continuing the next day. There were two to three gallons of water in the container at the time.

Probable Cause: The total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination as a result of the pilot's improper fueling of the airplane.

NTSB Identification: 103082

To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.

This May 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.