What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
About 40 minutes into the personal flight, the homebuilt airplanes engine began cutting out and kicking back in. Although the wind was from the south aat 10 to 15 knots, the pilot elected to land the airplane downwind to the north on a grass airstrip, due to a concern that landing into the wind could result in a collision with mobile homes at the south end of the strip in case of an overrun. The airplane touched down about two thirds of the way down the 3000 foot long strip, nosed over and came to a stop in the inverted position. Examination by an FAA inspector revealed that the gascolator bowl was full of water, and water was found in fuel drained from the left fuel tank. The passenger reported that the airplane was washed before the flight. According to the owner of the airplane, at an earlier date, he left the airplane parked outside, it rained overnight, and he found considerable water in the fuel system the next day. (-23) experimental aircraft with experimental engine experienced power loss due to water contamination in fuel. Pilot made emergency landing on grass strip. Aircraft landed with strong tail wind, rolled off end of runway an d stopped inverted 60 feet beyond threshold in wheat field.
As the FAA filed it
ABOUT 40 MINUTES INTO THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANES ENGINE BEGAN CUTTING OUT AND KICKING BACK IN. ALTHOUGH THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH AAT 10 TO 15 KNOTS, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE DOWNWIND TO THE NORTH ON A GRASS AIRSTRIP, DUE TO A CONCERN THAT LANDING INTO THE WIND COULD RESULT IN A COLLISION WITH MOBILE HOMES AT THE SOUTH END OF THE STRIP IN CASE OF AN OVERRUN. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY DOWN THE 3000 FOOT LONG STRIP, NOSED OVER AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE INVERTED POSITION. EXAMINATION BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE GASCOLATOR BOWL WAS FULL OF WATER, AND WATER WAS FOUND IN FUEL DRAINED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS WASHED BEFORE THE FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, AT AN EARLIER DATE, HE LEFT THE AIRPLANE PARKED OUTSIDE, IT RAINED OVERNIGHT, AND HE FOUND CONSIDERABLE WATER IN THE FUEL SYSTEM THE NEXT DAY. (-23) EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT WITH EXPERIMENTAL ENGINE EXPERIENCED POWER LOSS DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATION IN FUEL. PILOT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING ON GRASS STRIP. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH STRONG TAIL WIND, ROLLED OFF END OF RUNWAY AN D STOPPED INVERTED 60 FEET BEYOND THRESHOLD IN WHEAT FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.