Narrative:

Second flight of the day. Plane had been preflted several hours earlier. Sumps were drained then, with only minor indications of water. I drained tanks until I got a clean sample. Just prior to departure, I refueled filling middle and 12 gals in aft tank. (Front tank was full). I drained the sumps again, but this is almost always a false test on a beaver that has just flown because of the residual water that adheres to the aircraft in the sump area after a water landing. In addition, draining the sumps right after refueling does not allow time for the water to settle. No passenger or cargo en route to mishap point (approximately 1.5 hours round trip). I used the aft tank on the way down and switched to center tank immediately prior to touchdown. After landing, I taxied for about 2 mins to pick up point. After loading, I began the takeoff run from the loading area (no taxiing required). All instruments were normal. Takeoff run was normal. Shortly after breaking water, the engine sputtered and appeared to die. Switching tanks was not helpful. I had to land and stop in water remaining. Landing was rather firm and caused some bending of float struts on 1 side. Investigation revealed approximately 1/2 cup of water and sediment in carburetor bowl. This is the third time I have had engine problems in a beaver attributable to water in carburetor bowl. It appears to collect in carburetor bowl and remain there until a certain aircraft attitude is attained. There is no convenient way to drain this bowl before flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying the DHC2 beaver with a reciprocating engine. He believes that there is no carburetor float bowl drain available through an stc provider. The carburetor bowl is very nearly inaccessible without removing the cowling. Each operator at kodiak has his own fuel supply as no one wants to build the underground tanks that are required by local regulation. Some operators have old fuel trucks, others have tanks on trailers. All operators have problems with condensation in their fuel. The beaver can 'gulp a lot of water,' but the reporter got caught at the wrong attitude. He has not heard anything from the FAA or NTSB on this incident. The damage was slight and restr to the floats and struts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DHC2 BEAVER PLT HAD ACFT DAMAGE BENT FLOAT STRUTS WHEN HIS ENG FAILED DUE TO WATER IN THE CARB FLOAT BOWL. OVERWATER OP FLOAT PLANE.

Narrative: SECOND FLT OF THE DAY. PLANE HAD BEEN PREFLTED SEVERAL HRS EARLIER. SUMPS WERE DRAINED THEN, WITH ONLY MINOR INDICATIONS OF WATER. I DRAINED TANKS UNTIL I GOT A CLEAN SAMPLE. JUST PRIOR TO DEP, I REFUELED FILLING MIDDLE AND 12 GALS IN AFT TANK. (FRONT TANK WAS FULL). I DRAINED THE SUMPS AGAIN, BUT THIS IS ALMOST ALWAYS A FALSE TEST ON A BEAVER THAT HAS JUST FLOWN BECAUSE OF THE RESIDUAL WATER THAT ADHERES TO THE ACFT IN THE SUMP AREA AFTER A WATER LNDG. IN ADDITION, DRAINING THE SUMPS RIGHT AFTER REFUELING DOES NOT ALLOW TIME FOR THE WATER TO SETTLE. NO PAX OR CARGO ENRTE TO MISHAP POINT (APPROX 1.5 HRS ROUND TRIP). I USED THE AFT TANK ON THE WAY DOWN AND SWITCHED TO CTR TANK IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. AFTER LNDG, I TAXIED FOR ABOUT 2 MINS TO PICK UP POINT. AFTER LOADING, I BEGAN THE TKOF RUN FROM THE LOADING AREA (NO TAXIING REQUIRED). ALL INSTS WERE NORMAL. TKOF RUN WAS NORMAL. SHORTLY AFTER BREAKING WATER, THE ENG SPUTTERED AND APPEARED TO DIE. SWITCHING TANKS WAS NOT HELPFUL. I HAD TO LAND AND STOP IN WATER REMAINING. LNDG WAS RATHER FIRM AND CAUSED SOME BENDING OF FLOAT STRUTS ON 1 SIDE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED APPROX 1/2 CUP OF WATER AND SEDIMENT IN CARB BOWL. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE HAD ENG PROBS IN A BEAVER ATTRIBUTABLE TO WATER IN CARB BOWL. IT APPEARS TO COLLECT IN CARB BOWL AND REMAIN THERE UNTIL A CERTAIN ACFT ATTITUDE IS ATTAINED. THERE IS NO CONVENIENT WAY TO DRAIN THIS BOWL BEFORE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING THE DHC2 BEAVER WITH A RECIPROCATING ENG. HE BELIEVES THAT THERE IS NO CARB FLOAT BOWL DRAIN AVAILABLE THROUGH AN STC PROVIDER. THE CARB BOWL IS VERY NEARLY INACCESSIBLE WITHOUT REMOVING THE COWLING. EACH OPERATOR AT KODIAK HAS HIS OWN FUEL SUPPLY AS NO ONE WANTS TO BUILD THE UNDERGROUND TANKS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY LCL REG. SOME OPERATORS HAVE OLD FUEL TRUCKS, OTHERS HAVE TANKS ON TRAILERS. ALL OPERATORS HAVE PROBS WITH CONDENSATION IN THEIR FUEL. THE BEAVER CAN 'GULP A LOT OF WATER,' BUT THE RPTR GOT CAUGHT AT THE WRONG ATTITUDE. HE HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE FAA OR NTSB ON THIS INCIDENT. THE DAMAGE WAS SLIGHT AND RESTR TO THE FLOATS AND STRUTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.