20021020030269A

(-23) DISTRIBUTION: ORIGINAL COPY ANE-200, NE01 MGR, NE01 SPM, NE01 FILE, AAI200, AFS-300, ACE-100; ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON OCTOBER 20, 2002 N47147 A CESSNA 152 PILOTED BY MR. MANUEL ENCARNACION CRASH-LANDED IN THE MARSH AT SALISBURY BEACH STATE RESERVATION IN SALISBURY MA AT 14:50 PM. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED BEVERLY AIRPORT A SHORT TIME BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND WAS HEADED FOR PLUM ISLAND AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE QUIT IN A STEEP RIGHT DESCENDING TURN AT 1000 FEET AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND LAND IT IN A FLAT MARSH AREA. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN IN THE MARSH AT A VERY LOW SPEED THE AIRCRAFT'S WEIGHT STARTED TO DIG INTO THE SOFT MARSH LEAVING A VERY SHORT TRAIL OF SKID MARKS BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. AFTER NOSING OVER IT CAME TO A STOP UPSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE FAA INSPECTOR TOOK FUEL SAMPLES AT VARIOUS SUMP AND DRAIN POINTS ON THE AIRCRAFT REVEALING SIGNIFICANT WATER CONTAMINATION THROUGHOUT THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL SYSTEM. THE FAA INSPECTOR ALSO FOUND THAT BOTH RIGHT A ND LEFT WING FUEL CAPS SHOWED SIGNS OF CORROSION ON THE BOTTOM AND THAT THE RIGHT WING FUEL CAP SCAL WAS SEVERELY WORN AND CRACKED. WHEN THE RIGHT WING FUEL CAP WAS INSTALLED THE CRACKS IN ITS SEAL OPENED UP TO EXPOSE A THREE SIXTEENTHS OF AN INCH GAP PROVIDING AN OPEN PATH FOR WATER AND MOISTURE TO ENTER THE FUEL TANK. SINCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE AND HEAVY RAINS WERE RECORDED WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED IN THE TWO WEEK PERIOD PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT RAIN WATER ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THIS CRACKED SEAL CONTAMINATING THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL SYSTEM. AN FAA INSPECTOR ALSO CHECKED THE FUEL FARM AND FUEL TRUCKS AT THE LOCATION THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED THE LAST TWO TIMES AND FOUND NO SIGNS OF WATER CONTAMINATION. THE PILOT ADMITTED TO FINDING A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE FUEL SYSTEM THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT BEFORE HIS FLIGHTS WHEN HE SUMPED THE FUEL TANKS. AN EYEWITNESS AT BEVERLY AIRPORT ALSO STATED HE SAW THE PILOT UNSUCCESSFULLY TRY TO START THE AIRCRAFT SEVERAL TIMES AFTER IT WAS SUMPED THE FIRST TIME. THE EYEWITNESS THEN HELPED THE PILOT SUMP THE AIRCRAFT A SECOND TIME AND THE ENGINE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO BE STARTED. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED THE PILOT RAN THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND 15 MINUTES BEFORE TAKING OFF ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.