N47028Cessna 152

On July 25, 2019, about 1140 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N47028, was substantially damaged during a rejected takeoff at Wakefield Municipal Airport (AKQ), Wakefield, Virginia. The solo private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

The pilot stated that prior to his first flight of the day from Norfolk International Airport (ORF), Norfolk, Virginia, he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane that included a check of each fuel tank, which were full. No water was detected in the left main fuel tank, but during sump testing of the right main fuel tank, he had to get seven samples from the tank before the sample was clear and no water was present. He also checked the fuel strainer and a belly drain, and there was no water in the sample from either.

The pilot flew from ORF to AKQ uneventfully with the intention to perform touch-and-go landings on runway 20, a 4,337-ft-long asphalt runway. During the takeoff phase of the first touch-and-go landing, about 25 feet above ground level, the engine sputtered. The pilot landed the airplane on the remaining portion of the runway, near the departure end. Realizing there was insufficient runway to stop, he turned the airplane left and it impacted a perimeter fence before coming to rest upright. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer were damaged. During the examination, the inspector recovered fuel with water in it from three sources: the carburetor, the belly sump, and the firewall sump. The inspector also noted what appeared to be a gray putty substance around the right wing fuel cap gasket, which did not appear to be an approved repair. The inspector added that prior to the day of the accident, the airplane sat outside in rain.