ERA16LA018

The private pilot reported that he performed a thorough preflight inspection and observed no contaminants in the fuel. He reported that, during cruise flight on a local sightseeing flight, the engine lost all power. The pilot could not restart the engine, so he performed a forced landing in a nearby field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over and then came to rest inverted, which resulted in structural damage to the airframe. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During examination of the fuel system, water was found in the firewall-mounted fuel strainer. The left wing tank was dry; however, there was evidence of postaccident fuel leakage from the tank. The right wing tank was sumped using a standard 6-inch tube-type fuel tester. The tester was filled twice, and it only contained water each time. The tester was filled a third time, and it contained about 3/4 water and 1/4 fuel. Although the pilot reported that he performed a thorough preflight inspection, his inspection was not adequate because he failed to detect the water contamination.

On October 18, 2015, about 1912 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6636A, nosed over in a field following a forced landing near Campobello, South Carolina. The private pilot had minor injuries, two passengers were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Dusk, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from Fairview Airport (33A), Landrum, South Carolina, about 1845.The pilot reported the following. He was taking his son and a friend on a local, sightseeing flight to a nearby lake. During cruise flight, the engine lost all power. Attempts to regain power were unsuccessful. He elected to force land the airplane in a nearby farm field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over and came to a stop. He subsequently reported to an inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that he took off with 30 gallons of fuel on board. He also reported that he performed a thorough preflight inspection and the fuel was free of contaminants. An inspector with the FAA responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The airplane came to rest on a northwesterly heading, inverted. Structural damage was confirmed to the wings, fuselage, and vertical stabilizer. Once the airplane was positioned upright, the fuel system was inspected. The firewall-mounted fuel strainer contained visible water. The cockpit fuel selector handle was found in the "BOTH OFF" position. The left wing was empty of fuel, and there was evidence of fuel leakage under the left wing. The right wing tank was sumped utilizing a standard six-inch tube-type fuel tester. The tester was filled two times and only water drained from the tank. On the third sumping attempt, the tester was filled and contained about three quarters water and one quarter fuel. The exact amount of fuel and water in the right tank was not determined. The pilot completed a NTSB Form 6120.1 after the accident and reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation the airplane.