What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on June 30, 1996, at 19:30 hours local time, N68874 a Helio courier HT-295, made an off field landing in a plowed dirt field 300 yards north of the runway centerline (off airport property) at Carlsbad, California. The pilot who is a licensed airframe & powerplant mechanic with inspection authorization reported the following: the aircraft was being test flown after the performance of an annual inspection, in addition to engine maintenance. The aircraft's two main 30 gallon fuel tanks (60 gals. Total) were topped off by an airport vendor's av-gas truck 30 minutes prior to the flight. Both wing aux. Tanks remained empty. During his preflight inspection the pilot noted the presence of water in the (glass) gascolator bowl (the only low point drain for the main fuel tanks on this aircraft). The pilot continued to drain the bowl until only av-gas was detected. The engine run-up and taxi-out for takeoff were uneventful. After the aircraft took off and reached an altitude of 700' AGL, approximately 1/4 mile past the end of the runway, the engine stopped running. The pilot added that the engine did not sputter or run rough prior to the stoppage. The pilot made a right hand descending turn back to the airport. However, due to insufficient altitude the pi lot had to make an off field landing, the pilot was not injured. Damage to the aircraft was as follows: slightly bent propeller blade, lower fuselage skin damage, and sheared off main landing gear. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the fuel gascolator assy. Was full of water. No other mechanical abnormalities were noted that could have contributed to this incident. The fuel vendor's truck was examined by the reporting inspector. Both the filter and the tank were sumped and checked for the presence of water. None was found. Note: the Helio courier aircraft was originally certified with a conventional (tail dragger) configuration. Many of these aircraft have been retrofitted through an s.t.c. into a nose gear configuration. The reporting inspector contends that water could possibly collect in the tanks and not appear or run into the low point drain, until the aircraft's attitude is changed in flight. This incident is not related to any NMAC or pilot deviation reported by ATC.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON JUNE 30, 1996, AT 19:30 HOURS LOCAL TIME, N68874 A HELIO COURIER HT-295, MADE AN OFF FIELD LANDING IN A PLOWED DIRT FIELD 300 YARDS NORTH OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE (OFF AIRPORT PROPERTY) AT CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WHO IS A LICENSED AIRFRAME & POWERPLANT MECHANIC WITH INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING TEST FLOWN AFTER THE PERFORMANCE OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, IN ADDITION TO ENGINE MAINTENANCE. THE AIRCRAFT'S TWO MAIN 30 GALLON FUEL TANKS (60 GALS. TOTAL) WERE TOPPED OFF BY AN AIRPORT VENDOR'S AV-GAS TRUCK 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. BOTH WING AUX. TANKS REMAINED EMPTY. DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION THE PILOT NOTED THE PRESENCE OF WATER IN THE (GLASS) GASCOLATOR BOWL (THE ONLY LOW POINT DRAIN FOR THE MAIN FUEL TANKS ON THIS AIRCRAFT). THE PILOT CONTINUED TO DRAIN THE BOWL UNTIL ONLY AV-GAS WAS DETECTED. THE ENGINE RUN-UP AND TAXI-OUT FOR TAKEOFF WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 700' AGL, APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THE PILOT ADDED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT SPUTTER OR RUN ROUGH PRIOR TO THE STOPPAGE. THE PILOT MADE A RIGHT HAND DESCENDING TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT. HOWEVER, DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE THE PI LOT HAD TO MAKE AN OFF FIELD LANDING, THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS AS FOLLOWS: SLIGHTLY BENT PROPELLER BLADE, LOWER FUSELAGE SKIN DAMAGE, AND SHEARED OFF MAIN LANDING GEAR. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE FUEL GASCOLATOR ASSY.WAS FULL OF WATER. NO OTHER MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THE FUEL VENDOR'S TRUCK WAS EXAMINED BY THE REPORTING INSPECTOR. BOTH THE FILTER AND THE TANK WERE SUMPED AND CHECKED FOR THE PRESENCE OF WATER. NONE WAS FOUND. NOTE: THE HELIO COURIER AIRCRAFT WAS ORIGINALLY CERTIFIED WITH A CONVENTIONAL (TAIL DRAGGER) CONFIGURATION. MANY OF THESE AIRCRAFT HAVE BEEN RETROFITTED THROUGH AN S.T.C. INTO A NOSE GEAR CONFIGURATION. THE REPORTING INSPECTOR CONTENDS THAT WATER COULD POSSIBLY COLLECT IN THE TANKS AND NOT APPEAR OR RUN INTO THE LOW POINT DRAIN, UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT'S ATTITUDE IS CHANGED IN FLIGHT. THIS INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO ANY NMAC OR PILOT DEVIATION REPORTED BY ATC.
Other reports on N68874 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.