What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot departed Fullerton Municipal (ful) with a destination of brown field (sdm). The pilot stated that everything was normal during departure until he retracted the landing gear, at which time the engine lost power. The aircraft landed wheels up on airport property in a small field containing the localizer antenna array. The aircraft suffered substantial damage with no injuries to the occupants or damage to structures. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right wing fuel tank was contaminataed with a substantial amount of water in the fuel. An amount of water in excess of 20 ounces was drained from the right wing fuel tank sump. Water was also found in the engine fuel injector distributor. The fuel tank caps had not been opened after the landing as evidenced by dirt on top of the caps thrown there by the propeller during the landing. The local area had experienced heavy rainfall three days prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED FULLERTON MUNICIPAL (FUL) WITH A DESTINATION OF BROWN FIELD (SDM). THE PILOT STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL DURING DEPARTURE UNTIL HE RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR, AT WHICH TIME THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WHEELS UP ON AIRPORT PROPERTY IN A SMALL FIELD CONTAINING THE LOCALIZER ANTENNA ARRAY. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS OR DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS CONTAMINATAED WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE FUEL. AN AMOUNT OF WATER IN EXCESS OF 20 OUNCES WAS DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK SUMP. WATER WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE ENGINE FUEL INJECTOR DISTRIBUTOR. THE FUEL TANK CAPS HAD NOT BEEN OPENED AFTER THE LANDING AS EVIDENCED BY DIRT ON TOP OF THE CAPS THROWN THERE BY THE PROPELLER DURING THE LANDING. THE LOCAL AREA HAD EXPERIENCED HEAVY RAINFALL THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.