NTSB Factual Report

On December 1, 2002, about 1200 Alaska standard time, a Piper J5A airplane, N270JS, sustained substantial damage when the main landing gear collapsed during an emergency landing following a loss of engine power at the Soldotna Airport, Soldotna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, at the time of the accident. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on December 9, the pilot said he had taken off on runway 07, and started a right climbing turn, when the engine lost power. The pilot said he applied carburetor heat, and checked the position of the fuel tank selector, but he could not restart the engine. He said he was about 200 feet above ground level, and turned toward the runway. He said the airplane landed hard on the runway, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the runway. The pilot said there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident, however, he said the mechanic who recovered the airplane removed more than a pint of water from the right wing fuel sump. The pilot said he fueled the airplane with 87-octane auto gas from 5-gallon cans prior to the flight, and stated he should have strained the fuel through a water trap filter.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to remove all water from the airplane's fuel supply during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power and subsequent hard landing.