What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 06/13/2022, at 1700 EDT, privacy data omitted, a Grumman American AA-5, ser# AA5-0577, privacy data omitted, lost power and crash landed, and then flipped into a river 1-2 miles short of hidden river airport, Sarasota, FL (22FA). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at
The time. The PIC was on a personal flight departing from treasure coast international airport, fort pierce, FL (fpr) earlier that day.
In review of the evidence surrounding this accident, the aircraft lost power seconds after the PIC switched the fuel selector from the right to the left tank while on final to runway 27 at 22FA. The PIC landed the aircraft in a rough field and the aircraft flipped into a river aproximately 1.5 miles short of 22FA. The PIC was uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
During this inspector's interview with the PIC, the pilot stated he believes the engine lost power due to a fuel contamination issue. He stated that he uses his airplane daily to commute from 22FA to fly to his job at fpr. The PIC stated he typically fills his aircraft fuel tanks after landing at fpr from two 5-gallon containers. He fills the 5-gallon containers with fuel from a larger fuel storage tank at his job that receives its fuel from the fixed base operator (FBO). The PIC said he typically fills the 5-gallon containers immediately after use and caps them until he lands at fpr each day and refills the aircraft from the 5-gallon containers. He typically repeats the procedure each day upon landing at fpr. The PIC stated, on Friday 6/10/2022 that he did not refill the 5-gallon containers immediately after use that day. He said he left the containers outdoors uncapped over the weekend and he suspects that rainwater was introduced into the containers. On 6/13/2022, after landing at fpr, the PIC stated he filled the 5-gallon fuel containers that sat out in the rain over the weekend with fuel from the larger fuel storage tank, he then subsequently refueled his aircraft with fuel from the containers that he suspects were contaminated with rainwater. He said after refueling on 6/13/2022, he did not drain the fuel to inspect for water or sediment contamination. In addition, the NTSB examination found water in the carburetor (half fuel, half water) and a large amount in the fuel tanks.
As the FAA filed it
ON 06/13/2022, AT 1700 EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-5, SER# AA5-0577, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LOST POWER AND CRASH LANDED, AND THEN FLIPPED INTO A RIVER 1-2 MILES SHORT OF HIDDEN RIVER AIRPORT, SARASOTA, FL (22FA). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT
THE TIME. THE PIC WAS ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTING FROM TREASURE COAST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FORT PIERCE, FL (FPR) EARLIER THAT DAY.
IN REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE SURROUNDING THIS ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER SECONDS AFTER THE PIC SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT TANK WHILE ON FINAL TO RUNWAY 27 AT 22FA. THE PIC LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A ROUGH FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED INTO A RIVER APROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES SHORT OF 22FA. THE PIC WAS UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
DURING THIS INSPECTOR'S INTERVIEW WITH THE PIC, THE PILOT STATED HE BELIEVES THE ENGINE LOST POWER DUE TO A FUEL CONTAMINATION ISSUE. HE STATED THAT HE USES HIS AIRPLANE DAILY TO COMMUTE FROM 22FA TO FLY TO HIS JOB AT FPR. THE PIC STATED HE TYPICALLY FILLS HIS AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS AFTER LANDING AT FPR FROM TWO 5-GALLON CONTAINERS. HE FILLS THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS WITH FUEL FROM A LARGER FUEL STORAGE TANK AT HIS JOB THAT RECEIVES ITS FUEL FROM THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO). THE PIC SAID HE TYPICALLY FILLS THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE AND CAPS THEM UNTIL HE LANDS AT FPR EACH DAY AND REFILLS THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS. HE TYPICALLY REPEATS THE PROCEDURE EACH DAY UPON LANDING AT FPR. THE PIC STATED, ON FRIDAY 6/10/2022 THAT HE DID NOT REFILL THE 5-GALLON CONTAINERS IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE THAT DAY. HE SAID HE LEFT THE CONTAINERS OUTDOORS UNCAPPED OVER THE WEEKEND AND HE SUSPECTS THAT RAINWATER WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE CONTAINERS. ON 6/13/2022, AFTER LANDING AT FPR, THE PIC STATED HE FILLED THE 5-GALLON FUEL CONTAINERS THAT SAT OUT IN THE RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND WITH FUEL FROM THE LARGER FUEL STORAGE TANK, HE THEN SUBSEQUENTLY REFUELED HIS AIRCRAFT WITH FUEL FROM THE CONTAINERS THAT HE SUSPECTS WERE CONTAMINATED WITH RAINWATER. HE SAID AFTER REFUELING ON 6/13/2022, HE DID NOT DRAIN THE FUEL TO INSPECT FOR WATER OR SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION. IN ADDITION, THE NTSB EXAMINATION FOUND WATER IN THE CARBURETOR (HALF FUEL, HALF WATER) AND A LARGE AMOUNT IN THE FUEL TANKS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.