Narrative:

I arrived at an FBO located at ffz, where my plane was tied down outside after its annual. I had last flown the plane for an hour 2 weeks before with no problem. I did not have access to the hangar due to construction on txwys. I performed a preflight inspection. I removed a large amount of water that had settled into the nose (the cozy is parked nose down) from the rains. I raised the nose gear and continued the preflight. No water was evident in the fuel samples when taken in the gear down position. After starting the plane, I sat there for a while checking my GPS and instruments, and observing engine temperatures. I was at normal to high idle during the 10 mins prior to taxi. Everything was good. I received permission to taxi to runway 22L. At the run-up, I performed a normal run-up with no indication of engine trouble. I received permission to takeoff runway 22L. I was trying to see how quickly I could get off the runway, so I minimized braking and rudder as much as possible. I took off just before the midfield turnoff. After I rotated, my engine started to sputter. I immediately cut power, blurted out emergency and got the wheels down on the ground. I estimate that I had less than a quarter of the runway left and was doing about 80 KTS on touchdown. At that point, things did not look promising. Using full brakes, I was unable to slow down enough to make the last turn-off, but was able to avoid the lights at the end of the runway by steering just left of them into the grass. I came to a stop about 30 yards in front, and 20 yards to the left of runway 22L. This would not have been possible before getting extensive brake work during my annual at the FBO. The control tower asked me if I was all right, and if there was an emergency. I informed them that I was ok and the controller informed me it was not an emergency, but an aborted takeoff. I do not remember the specific instruction, but I understood that I was all right where I was. I shut everything down, exited the airplane, and inspected for damage. No damage. The plane was pushed to the taxiway and would not start with the fuel selector on left tank. It did start on right tank. I taxied back to the hangar that was just reopened and sampled the fuel. No water. I then lowered the nose gear and sampled, and it was all water. The water appeared to have a red hue. Problem solved. Check fuel in nose down confign in the future. After draining the tank, I estimate about a quart of water in the left tank. The only point of entry would be the fuel cap. It should also be noted that I did not refuel since flying last, so the fuel I purchased was not contaminated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BRAND NEW PVT PLT, FLYING HIS NEW COZY-III, MADE AN ABORTED TKOF AT FFZ, DUE TO WATER IN THE FUEL TANKS.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT AN FBO LOCATED AT FFZ, WHERE MY PLANE WAS TIED DOWN OUTSIDE AFTER ITS ANNUAL. I HAD LAST FLOWN THE PLANE FOR AN HR 2 WKS BEFORE WITH NO PROB. I DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE HANGAR DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON TXWYS. I PERFORMED A PREFLT INSPECTION. I REMOVED A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT HAD SETTLED INTO THE NOSE (THE COZY IS PARKED NOSE DOWN) FROM THE RAINS. I RAISED THE NOSE GEAR AND CONTINUED THE PREFLT. NO WATER WAS EVIDENT IN THE FUEL SAMPLES WHEN TAKEN IN THE GEAR DOWN POS. AFTER STARTING THE PLANE, I SAT THERE FOR A WHILE CHKING MY GPS AND INSTS, AND OBSERVING ENG TEMPS. I WAS AT NORMAL TO HIGH IDLE DURING THE 10 MINS PRIOR TO TAXI. EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. I RECEIVED PERMISSION TO TAXI TO RWY 22L. AT THE RUN-UP, I PERFORMED A NORMAL RUN-UP WITH NO INDICATION OF ENG TROUBLE. I RECEIVED PERMISSION TO TKOF RWY 22L. I WAS TRYING TO SEE HOW QUICKLY I COULD GET OFF THE RWY, SO I MINIMIZED BRAKING AND RUDDER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I TOOK OFF JUST BEFORE THE MIDFIELD TURNOFF. AFTER I ROTATED, MY ENG STARTED TO SPUTTER. I IMMEDIATELY CUT PWR, BLURTED OUT EMER AND GOT THE WHEELS DOWN ON THE GND. I ESTIMATE THAT I HAD LESS THAN A QUARTER OF THE RWY LEFT AND WAS DOING ABOUT 80 KTS ON TOUCHDOWN. AT THAT POINT, THINGS DID NOT LOOK PROMISING. USING FULL BRAKES, I WAS UNABLE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH TO MAKE THE LAST TURN-OFF, BUT WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE RWY BY STEERING JUST L OF THEM INTO THE GRASS. I CAME TO A STOP ABOUT 30 YARDS IN FRONT, AND 20 YARDS TO THE L OF RWY 22L. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE BEFORE GETTING EXTENSIVE BRAKE WORK DURING MY ANNUAL AT THE FBO. THE CTL TWR ASKED ME IF I WAS ALL RIGHT, AND IF THERE WAS AN EMER. I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS OK AND THE CTLR INFORMED ME IT WAS NOT AN EMER, BUT AN ABORTED TKOF. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION, BUT I UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS ALL RIGHT WHERE I WAS. I SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN, EXITED THE AIRPLANE, AND INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE. NO DAMAGE. THE PLANE WAS PUSHED TO THE TXWY AND WOULD NOT START WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR ON L TANK. IT DID START ON R TANK. I TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGAR THAT WAS JUST REOPENED AND SAMPLED THE FUEL. NO WATER. I THEN LOWERED THE NOSE GEAR AND SAMPLED, AND IT WAS ALL WATER. THE WATER APPEARED TO HAVE A RED HUE. PROB SOLVED. CHK FUEL IN NOSE DOWN CONFIGN IN THE FUTURE. AFTER DRAINING THE TANK, I ESTIMATE ABOUT A QUART OF WATER IN THE L TANK. THE ONLY POINT OF ENTRY WOULD BE THE FUEL CAP. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT I DID NOT REFUEL SINCE FLYING LAST, SO THE FUEL I PURCHASED WAS NOT CONTAMINATED.

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.