ATL87FA101

Factual narrative

ON T/O AT 1ST POWER CHANGE PIC NOTED LOSS OF PERFORMANCE. HE TURNED LEFT TO DOWNWIND LEG FOR LANDING. PIC AND GROUND WITNESSES SAID ENG QUIT AND ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES AND GROUND. POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED ACFT. PIC RPTED TAKING FUEL SAMPLE BEFORE T/O WITH NO WATER CONTAMINATION NOTED. ACFT WAS FUELED TWICE AT ARPT VISITED AND FLEW AFTER 1ST FUELING. AFTER 2ND FUELING ACFT SAT UNCOVERED DURING SEVERAL HOURS OF HARD RAIN. ACFT LOG SAID FUEL CAP SEALS REPLACED 5 MONTHS PRIOR. ANALYSIS OF FUEL FROM ARPT SHOWED NO WATER IN FUEL. DROPLETS OF WATER FOUND IN FUEL TRUCK FILTER. ENG EXAMINATION REVEALED WATER DAMAGE TO PISTONS, CYLINDERS AND SPARK PLUGS. THE PLTS FLT TIME WAS NOT REPORTED OR AVAILABLE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12