What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aerial moose survey. Lost power low altitude. Struck trees. Water in fuel. Had sat out in all night rain. (.4)the certificated commercial pilot was conducting an aerial moose survey for the state of Alaska. The passenger was a wildlife biologist employed by the state of Alaska. The pilot said that while in cruise flight, about 500 feet above the ground, all engine power was lost. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, and he turned the airplane to avoid rising terrain. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane collided with trees. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A federal aviation administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, inspected the airplane wreckage, and obtained a fluid sample from the fuel system gascolator. The sample exhibited two obvious layers of separated liquid. The top layer consisted of a bluish liquid, consistent with the color of 100LL aviation fuel. The lower layer consisted of a clear liquid which appeared to be water. The NTSB investigator-in-charge tested the clear fluid with water finding paste. The sample tested positive for water. (-23) aircraft in cruise at 500'-600' AGL, engine quit and aircraft crashed into trees. Inspector found water in fuel gasolator sump and carburetor bowl.
As the FAA filed it
AERIAL MOOSE SURVEY. LOST POWER LOW ALTITUDE. STRUCK TREES. WATER IN FUEL. HAD SAT OUT IN ALL NIGHT RAIN. (.4)THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AN AERIAL MOOSE SURVEY FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA. THE PASSENGER WAS A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST EMPLOYED BY THE STATE OF ALASKA. THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO AVOID RISING TERRAIN. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE, AND OBTAINED A FLUID SAMPLE FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM GASCOLATOR. THE SAMPLE EXHIBITED TWO OBVIOUS LAYERS OF SEPARATED LIQUID. THE TOP LAYER CONSISTED OF A BLUISH LIQUID, CONSISTENT WITH THE COLOR OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL. THE LOWER LAYER CONSISTED OF A CLEAR LIQUID WHICH APPEARED TO BE WATER. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE TESTED THE CLEAR FLUID WITH WATER FINDING PASTE. THE SAMPLE TESTED POSITIVE FOR WATER. (-23) AIRCRAFT IN CRUISE AT 500'-600' AGL, ENGINE QUIT AND AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES. INSPECTOR FOUND WATER IN FUEL GASOLATOR SUMP AND CARBURETOR BOWL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.