What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated he departed from NC26 on runway 05 after a normal engine run up and mag check. He took off approximately a 1/4 of the way down the 3000 ft runway and climbed to 100 ft AGL. During a left turn over lake norman, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot immediately confirmed both fuel pumps were selected on, leveled the wings and pitched down to maintain airspeed. He then cycled the throttle several times in an attempt to regain power. The engine did not respond and continued to run at a low power setting with an excessive vibration. The pilot opted to land the aircraft on the water and attempt to bring the landing gear up prior to hitting the water. The aircraft remained afloat and was towed to the shore by a nearby boat.
Before the first flight of the day, the pilot filled the aircraft fuel tank with non-ethanol 94 octane gas that he purchased about 10 days prior.
No abnormalities were noted by the pilot on an earlier flight the same day from lake norman airpark (14A) to NC26.
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed a fuel gascolator that was full of water and a rust-like material. The Rotax engine representative believed the fuel contamination was sufficent enough to cause the engine power loss.
The location of the gascolator was obscured by a pylon fairing, not placarded nor identified in any of the aircraft documentation.
The privacy data omittedPIC stated he was not aware of the gascolator and never checked it for the presence of water.
The gascolator was not serviced during the most recent condition inspection performed by a certifcated mechanic as he was not aware it was installed.
As an experimental aircraft, there are no requirements for the placarding of fuel sumps/drains.
Task #: T-EA68-FY23-1476
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED FROM NC26 ON RUNWAY 05 AFTER A NORMAL ENGINE RUN UP AND MAG CHECK. HE TOOK OFF APPROXIMATELY A 1/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE 3000 FT RUNWAY AND CLIMBED TO 100 FT AGL. DURING A LEFT TURN OVER LAKE NORMAN, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY CONFIRMED BOTH FUEL PUMPS WERE SELECTED ON, LEVELED THE WINGS AND PITCHED DOWN TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. HE THEN CYCLED THE THROTTLE SEVERAL TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN POWER. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND AND CONTINUED TO RUN AT A LOW POWER SETTING WITH AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE PILOT OPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON THE WATER AND ATTEMPT TO BRING THE LANDING GEAR UP PRIOR TO HITTING THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED AFLOAT AND WAS TOWED TO THE SHORE BY A NEARBY BOAT.
BEFORE THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY, THE PILOT FILLED THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANK WITH NON-ETHANOL 94 OCTANE GAS THAT HE PURCHASED ABOUT 10 DAYS PRIOR.
NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED BY THE PILOT ON AN EARLIER FLIGHT THE SAME DAY FROM LAKE NORMAN AIRPARK (14A) TO NC26.
POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A FUEL GASCOLATOR THAT WAS FULL OF WATER AND A RUST-LIKE MATERIAL. THE ROTAX ENGINE REPRESENTATIVE BELIEVED THE FUEL CONTAMINATION WAS SUFFICENT ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE ENGINE POWER LOSS.
THE LOCATION OF THE GASCOLATOR WAS OBSCURED BY A PYLON FAIRING, NOT PLACARDED NOR IDENTIFIED IN ANY OF THE AIRCRAFT DOCUMENTATION.
THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PIC STATED HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE GASCOLATOR AND NEVER CHECKED IT FOR THE PRESENCE OF WATER.
THE GASCOLATOR WAS NOT SERVICED DURING THE MOST RECENT CONDITION INSPECTION PERFORMED BY A CERTIFCATED MECHANIC AS HE WAS NOT AWARE IT WAS INSTALLED.
AS AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, THERE ARE NO REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PLACARDING OF FUEL SUMPS/DRAINS.
TASK #: T-EA68-FY23-1476
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.