Narrative:

On a VFR flight from carefree, az, to sedona, az, in my vintage small aircraft, I experienced intermittent power failure and a rough running engine approximately 25 mins into the flight. The problem started shortly after switching from my left main fuel tank to my right. This alarming event caused me to seek a possible landing site. I-17 was the best possible landing site. As I glided for the road I reviewed my checklist and switched back to the left tank. This improved the engine performance, but under high power loading the engine quit on at least 2 other occasions causing me to make low approachs to an emergency landing. Rapid use of the manual primer kept the engine running and the craft airborne. After a period of about 10-12 mins the engine cleared and I proceeded on to sedona. I suspected fuel contamination. I arrived at sedona, was met by police, could not produce my pilot's certificate, was arrested and bailed out of jail. On the following mon, I brought an a&P mechanic and inspector to sedona where he drained carburetor and fuel tanks and found water contamination in the right tank. System was drained, checked and returned to service. Replacement certificate was obtained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VINTAGE SMA EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND MAKES SEVERAL LOW APCHS TO I-STATE HIGHWAY, RECOVERING EACH TIME. PLT ARRESTED AT DESTINATION AND DISCOVERED TO BE WITHOUT CERTIFICATE.

Narrative: ON A VFR FLT FROM CAREFREE, AZ, TO SEDONA, AZ, IN MY VINTAGE SMA, I EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT PWR FAILURE AND A ROUGH RUNNING ENG APPROX 25 MINS INTO THE FLT. THE PROB STARTED SHORTLY AFTER SWITCHING FROM MY LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK TO MY RIGHT. THIS ALARMING EVENT CAUSED ME TO SEEK A POSSIBLE LNDG SITE. I-17 WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE LNDG SITE. AS I GLIDED FOR THE ROAD I REVIEWED MY CHKLIST AND SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT TANK. THIS IMPROVED THE ENG PERFORMANCE, BUT UNDER HIGH PWR LOADING THE ENG QUIT ON AT LEAST 2 OTHER OCCASIONS CAUSING ME TO MAKE LOW APCHS TO AN EMER LNDG. RAPID USE OF THE MANUAL PRIMER KEPT THE ENG RUNNING AND THE CRAFT AIRBORNE. AFTER A PERIOD OF ABOUT 10-12 MINS THE ENG CLRED AND I PROCEEDED ON TO SEDONA. I SUSPECTED FUEL CONTAMINATION. I ARRIVED AT SEDONA, WAS MET BY POLICE, COULD NOT PRODUCE MY PLT'S CERTIFICATE, WAS ARRESTED AND BAILED OUT OF JAIL. ON THE FOLLOWING MON, I BROUGHT AN A&P MECH AND INSPECTOR TO SEDONA WHERE HE DRAINED CARB AND FUEL TANKS AND FOUND WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE RIGHT TANK. SYS WAS DRAINED, CHKED AND RETURNED TO SVC. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE WAS OBTAINED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.