NTSB Factual Report

On July 31, 2007, about 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Dehavilland DHC-1B, NX2EA, forced landed along Steamboat Island Road, 11 miles northwest of Olympia Airport, Olympia, Washington. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power. The airline transport pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and single passenger were not injured, and the plane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Olympia Airport about 1415.

The pilot stated to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that a few minutes after takeoff, at 2,000 feet msl, the engine quit. There was no surge or popping sound associated with the sudden loss of power. He selected the second fuel tank, turned on the boost pump, executed the clear engine procedure, and attempted to restart the engine with no luck. He initially selected a field to land in, but upon closer inspection, there was a tractor at midfield and a house at the end that made it unsuitable for landing. He then selected a two lane road for landing. During the landing the airplane snagged multiple power lines and came to rest partially suspended from the broken power lines. The pilot and his passenger cut their way out of the cockpit with crash axes that were stored onboard the airplane. A post crash fire ignited in the engine compartment and was extinguished by a neighbor who was present immediately after the crash.

The airplane was registered in the experimental category, and the engine had been modified with an Ellison throttle body.

A inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examined the airplane on scene and performed an in-depth wreckage examination on August 22. The FAA inspector reported that the fuel system appeared to have been modified from the firewall forward, with a canister type of fuel filter and an Ellison throttle body. Upon removal and examination of the fuel filter, brown rust colored corrosion and sludge was observed inside the filter canister and rust colored stains were on the filter element. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed rust colored deposits around the fuel tank outlets.

The engine maintenance logbook recorded that an annual examination was completed on July 1, 2007, and that "all fuel and oil screens/filters checked."

NTSB Probable Cause

The loss of engine power due to water-contaminated fuel, and maintenance personnel's inadequate inspection of the fuel system.