NTSB Factual Report

On June 17, 2001, at 1400 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150L, N6557G, operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted and nosed over on a soybean field near Munster, Indiana. Prior to the accident, the airplane had just taken off from the soybean field and experienced a loss of engine power during the initial climb. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

On the previous flight, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The airplane was successfully forced landed in the soybean field by another pilot.

In his written statement, the owner/accident pilot said that when he arrived at the field, he and one of his line service employees removed the engine cowling and "examined [the] control cables, etc." The owner/pilot said that they checked the fuel at both of the fuel tank drains and the main sump. They also did a visual check of the fuel in the tanks. The owner/pilot said they started the engine with the cowling off and did an engine run up. The owner/pilot then shut the engine down, replaced the cowling, restarted the engine, and taxied to the east edge of the field. The owner/pilot said, "I proceeded to do another run up with mags checking good. I lowered flaps to 20 degrees and started a take off roll to the west." He said that the ground roll and climb out seemed normal and the engine sounded okay. The owner/pilot said that at about 50 to 75 feet above the ground the engine quit. "I pumped the throttle a few times to no avail. With an 8 foot [high] cyclone fence ahead of me, I decided to turn 90 degrees to the left." The owner/pilot said that about the same time the airplane was "making ground contact nose heavy and flipped over on the aircraft's back."

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the accident scene. The airplane was resting inverted in a soybean field. The airplane's right wing was bent downward 13 inches outboard of the wing root and twisted aft. The right wing tip and outboard 12 inches of the wing's leading edge were crushed aft and broken. The cowling and forward fuselage was crushed aft. The nose gear was bent and broken rearward. Both propeller blades were bent aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The airplane's engine was retained for further examination.

The owner/pilot said that though he checked the tanks thoroughly, he suspected water contamination. He said that they had this problem before with this airplane. He said that the airplane had been tied outside for a couple of weeks, and that they had experienced some heavy rain during that time.

An examination of the airplane's engine and fuel system was conducted by the NTSB at Lansing, Michigan, on August 17, 2001. The examination revealed water in the left main fuel tank. No other anomalies were found.

NTSB Probable Cause

Engine failure during takeoff due to water contaminating the fuel, the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and the low altitude. Factors relating to this accident were the attempted emergency landing after takeoff and the fence.