What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N6729A, a Cessna CE-172, the sole occupant, pilot-in-command, during his climb to altitude experienced an engine failure, scanned the immediate area and landed on a golf course. The approach and landing were uneventful until the command pilot noticed a golfer on the fairway. In an effort to avoid the golfer, he made a turn having the wing contact the ground, ground looping the aircraft with a slight prop strike on the ground (grass fairway). The PIC stated the aircraft had not flown in months and he did an extra thorough preflight. The PIC stated he drained a lot of water from both tanks until he has good fuel for several drains. It was determined that the cause of the power loss in flight was water in the fuel with an airworthiness inspector summary of his inspection after the aircraft was removed and relocated back to lake Norman airport. The gasolator (fuel bowl) was drained with about 50% fuel and 50% water contained. A reexamination of the pilot-in-command knowledge on appropriate preflight activities was completed satisfactorily.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N6729A, A CESSNA CE-172, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, PILOT-IN-COMMAND, DURING HIS CLIMB TO ALTITUDE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE, SCANNED THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND LANDED ON A GOLF COURSE. THE APPROACH AND LANDING WERE UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE COMMAND PILOT NOTICED A GOLFER ON THE FAIRWAY. IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID THE GOLFER, HE MADE A TURN HAVING THE WING CONTACT THE GROUND, GROUND LOOPING THE AIRCRAFT WITH A SLIGHT PROP STRIKE ON THE GROUND (GRASS FAIRWAY). THE PIC STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT FLOWN IN MONTHS AND HE DID AN EXTRA THOROUGH PREFLIGHT. THE PIC STATED HE DRAINED A LOT OF WATER FROM BOTH TANKS UNTIL HE HAS GOOD FUEL FOR SEVERAL DRAINS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS IN FLIGHT WAS WATER IN THE FUEL WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR SUMMARY OF HIS INSPECTION AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED AND RELOCATED BACK TO LAKE NORMAN AIRPORT. THE GASOLATOR (FUEL BOWL) WAS DRAINED WITH ABOUT 50% FUEL AND 50% WATER CONTAINED. A REEXAMINATION OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND KNOWLEDGE ON APPROPRIATE PREFLIGHT ACTIVITIES WAS COMPLETED SATISFACTORILY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.