Fueling Speculation: Sumping for Safety Still Critical to Preflight Checklist

Instructor recounts a flight where an emergency landing revealed the critical importance of meticulous preflight checks.

Nikita Gabdrakhmanov

Friday, September 26, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The investigation suggested it was a crew fault, with the FAA and maintenance personnel suggesting we hadn’t sumped the fuel to check for water. ...This was not true. [Image: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

During a flight school operation after heavy rains, an aircraft experienced an engine sputter and significant RPM drop shortly after takeoff, necessitating an emergency landing on a grassy area.
Despite a preflight inspection that found no water, a procedural deviation in fuel sumping order (belly sump first, then wing tanks) likely allowed water to re-accumulate in the fuel strainer during the flight.
The incident served as a critical lesson emphasizing the importance of meticulously following preflight checklists and adhering to the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) to ensure a completely water-free fuel system.

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The incident occurred in November 2023 during Florida’s hurricane season, a time known for storms and heavy rain that can last days or even weeks.

After a week of rain, our flight school resumed operations. As a Part 141 school, we follow comprehensive safety practices and procedures manual for how pilots must conduct preflight checks. These emphasize the importance of following checklists and carefully reviewing the aircraft’s POH.