ERA16LA230

The private pilot reported that, during an extended absence, a family member checked on his airplane and found that the right wing fuel cap was missing. The pilot ordered a new fuel cap, and it was installed on the airplane. After the pilot's return, about 1 week before the accident, he added fuel to the right tank and then drained it; he repeated the process several times and then performed an extended engine run-up and taxi check; he did not fly the airplane that day. On the day of the accident, he sampled both fuel tanks, performed a prolonged engine run-up, and taxied for about 30 to 45 minutes before departing on the accident flight. Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost all power. The pilot conducted a forced landing, and the airplane impacted terrain 1,000 ft from the departure end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed the presence of water at the firewall-mounted fuel strainer. Although the pilot reported that he performed a thorough preflight inspection, it is likely that water remained in the fuel system, which resulted in the loss of engine power.

On June 25, 2016, about 1745 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N9836W, was substantially damaged during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from North Perry Airport (HWO), Hollywood, Florida. The private pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to a written statement provided by the pilot, several weeks before the accident, a family member noted that the airplane's right fuel tank cap was missing. The pilot ordered a new fuel cap that was installed and remained in place until his return. On June 18, the pilot added 3 gallons of fuel to the right fuel tank, drained it, and then repeated this process several times. He then started the engine with the left fuel tank selected, and switched to the right fuel tank to perform an extended engine run-up and taxi check; he did not fly the airplane that day. When the pilot arrived at HWO on the day of the accident, he sampled both fuel tanks, performed a prolonged engine run-up and taxied for about 30 to 45 minutes. During the subsequent takeoff, when the airplane was about 80 to 100 feet above ground level (agl), the engine started to "tremble," and then lost all power. The airplane impacted terrain about 1,000 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The airplane's nose and main landing gear were sheared off, and the left wing forward spar was separated at the wing root. One propeller blade was bent aft, the other blade was not damaged. Fuel sampled from the firewall-mounted fuel strainer contained mostly water. The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-320 series, 140-horsepower engine. The airplane had been operated for about 333 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed on September 19, 2015. The pilot reported 262 hours of total flight experience, of which 98 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.