What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was on a maintenance test flight when it crashed on take-off from rwy 32 into the Connecticut river and was destroyed, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)the airplane was on its first flight since recent maintenance from a previous accident in which the airplane was submerged under water. As the airplane climbed out the engine began to loose power and the pilot attempted a forced landing to a river. The airplane stalled and impacted the water nose down and sank. A test run of the engine was performed after the accident and no anomalies were noted. Inspection of the fuel injector distributor valve revealed fuel and water coming from under the diaphragm. An airworthiness directive was issued in 1986 to prevent power loss or engine stoppage due to water contamination of fuel system. The AD addressed the potential for trapped water in the wing fuel bladder due to wrinkles. The AD was complied with in 1989. Examination of the left wing revealed inward and upward crushing damage to the leading edge, from the wing root outward. The wing fuel bladder was inspected, and 5 wrinkles were found, about 8-12 inche s in length and 1/4 inch high, that extended from the wing root, outward. (-23) on Wednesday, June 23, 1999, received notification from operations center regarding aircraft in Connecticut river at East Haddam, CT. Aircraft was on maintenance test flight with PIC and mechanic following extensive maintenance. After three test runs down runway, departed r/way 32 and on rotation PIC reported engine lost power and quit. Aircraft barely cleared trees and landed in river about 150 ft from shore. Aircraft received substantial damage. Both the pilot and mechanic escaped with minor injuries. Aircr aft was retrieved from water and investigation was conducted as to probable cause. The conclusion is that undetected water remaining in the left tank from river incursion 10 months earlier, migrated into the fuel system on rotation and caused engine to lose power and quit. Water was found in the fuel injection distributor and it was confirmed by Continental representative that it is highly unlikely that water would migrate into this system since at this point, the system was closed.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT WHEN IT CRASHED ON TAKE-OFF FROM RWY 32 INTO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AND WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS ON ITS FIRST FLIGHT SINCE RECENT MAINTENANCE FROM A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBMERGED UNDER WATER. AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED OUT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING TO A RIVER. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND IMPACTED THE WATER NOSE DOWN AND SANK. A TEST RUN OF THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL INJECTOR DISTRIBUTOR VALVE REVEALED FUEL AND WATER COMING FROM UNDER THE DIAPHRAGM. AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS ISSUED IN 1986 TO PREVENT POWER LOSS OR ENGINE STOPPAGE DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATION OF FUEL SYSTEM. THE AD ADDRESSED THE POTENTIAL FOR TRAPPED WATER IN THE WING FUEL BLADDER DUE TO WRINKLES. THE AD WAS COMPLIED WITH IN 1989. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT WING REVEALED INWARD AND UPWARD CRUSHING DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE, FROM THE WING ROOT OUTWARD. THE WING FUEL BLADDER WAS INSPECTED, AND 5 WRINKLES WERE FOUND, ABOUT 8-12 INCHE S IN LENGTH AND 1/4 INCH HIGH, THAT EXTENDED FROM THE WING ROOT, OUTWARD. (-23) ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1999, RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM OPERATIONS CENTER REGARDING AIRCRAFT IN CONNECTICUT RIVER AT EAST HADDAM, CT. AIRCRAFT WAS ON MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT WITH PIC AND MECHANIC FOLLOWING EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE. AFTER THREE TEST RUNS DOWN RUNWAY, DEPARTED R/WAY 32 AND ON ROTATION PIC REPORTED ENGINE LOST POWER AND QUIT. AIRCRAFT BARELY CLEARED TREES AND LANDED IN RIVER ABOUT 150 FT FROM SHORE. AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. BOTH THE PILOT AND MECHANIC ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES. AIRCR AFT WAS RETRIEVED FROM WATER AND INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED AS TO PROBABLE CAUSE. THE CONCLUSION IS THAT UNDETECTED WATER REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK FROM RIVER INCURSION 10 MONTHS EARLIER, MIGRATED INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM ON ROTATION AND CAUSED ENGINE TO LOSE POWER AND QUIT. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL INJECTION DISTRIBUTOR AND IT WAS CONFIRMED BY CONTINENTAL REPRESENTATIVE THAT IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT WATER WOULD MIGRATE INTO THIS SYSTEM SINCE AT THIS POINT, THE SYSTEM WAS CLOSED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3385L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.