Pilot's sole responsibility, for safety of flight. Should have checked 
fuel by draining small quantity. And yes the timing for that fuel to 
arrive at the engine is just off the end of the runway. The storage tank 
should be checked regularly. At our airport, one of the first mandatory 
tasks for the line crew (they move, fuel aircraft) was to drain fuel 
from the bottom of each truck tanker and check color, fuel, sediment, 
water, etc. The test was logged, and the used to be wasted. If clean it 
would be used to fuel airport equipment. Jet-A is close to diesel, and 
gasoline was fine in the lawnmower. Back to the flight. Pilots are 
trained, engine failure on take-off, don't try to turn around unless it 
is a very long runway and you started on the end, but chose a landing 
area ahead. Many twin engine planes will not climb or maintain altitude 
on one engine, you just go down slower. :(  Our airplane made good water 
landings, and I always kept an eye for smooth water, as compared to the 
steep wooded hills of the Eastern USA mountains.

On 7/21/2010 10:59 PM, RussellMc wrote:
>>   ... part of the proper pre-flight inspection is before first
>> flight of the day, or after refueling, to drain a small amount of fuel
>> into a transparent cup, and check the color, presence of debris or
>> water.
>>      
> I saw a light aircraft with 4 people aboard climb off a seaside
> airstrip over trees and then start behaving "very unusually". Turned
> out to have had engine trouble due to water in fuel. Banked hard to
> try to return to strip but didn't have enough height and instead
> descended into the harbour beyond. Injuries but nobody killed.
>
> Verdict was water in the fuel due AFAIR to leakage into a storage drum
> from an improperly sealed lid. Would be interesting to know how much
> checking was done, what level of checking would have saved him and how
> the fuel drum leakage was able to happen at all.
>
> Pauanui rule 4.4 probably is based on that incident - " ... turn early
> after takeoff and WEAR life preservers ..."
> ( http://bit.ly/PauanuiAirstrip )
>
>
>        Russell
>    
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