ANC07LA063 · Cessna 177RG

The first pilot, an airline transport pilot, reported that the second pilot, a private pilot, had just purchased the accident airplane, but did not yet possess the required high performance logbook endorsements needed to operate the airplane. The accident occurred as the pair were ferrying the airplane to the second pilot's home airport. According to the first pilot, both of the airplane's wing-mounted fuel tanks were filled to capacity just before departure. During his subsequent preflight inspection, the first pilot obtained fuel samples from the airplane's fuel sump drain ports, and none of the fuel samples contained any contaminates or water. The second pilot was flying the airplane, and just after takeoff, about 500 feet agl, all engine power was lost. The first pilot took control of the airplane in an attempt to re-establish engine power, but his attempts were unsuccessful, and he selected an open field as a forced landing site. During the emergency landing the airplane collided with rough and uneven terrain, and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident scene on the accident date, and reported that he drained about 4 ounces of water from the airplane's left fuel tank and gascolator. He said that the airplane's gascolator contained a sandy, gritty white substance. The airplane's fuel injector screen also contained trace amounts of rusty-colored water. The engine was subsequently started and it produced full power. The FAA inspector also reported that the airplane had been stored outside before the accident, and that heavy rains had been reported in the area 2 or 3 days before the accident. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were discovered during the inspector's postaccident inspection.

Verbatim NTSB analysis and probable cause from the NTSB dataset