The NTSB and FAA have known for decades about a lack of positive detection of fuel contaminated with water the pilot cannot positively detect or eliminate during the pre-flight of the aircraft. See NTSB Safety Recommendation A-83-6 which the NTSB closed on January 13, 1986 as UNACCEPTABLE and walked away. Whether undetectable water in the fuel was responsible for this sputtering engine or not the indicated design flaw still exists. See FAA Safety Recommendations 99.283 and 99.284 about undetectable water in the integral fuel tanks of the high-wing Cessna. Additionally here is a link from decades ago about undetectable water and efforts of two individuals who tried in vain to get the indicated design flaw corrected:
http://www.sumpthis.com/hwdocs/documentshw.htm
Robert Scovillof TN11:59PM August 12, 2009
Re item 9 of "10 things you didn't know about NTSB" - in fact Air France says flight 447 did not break apart in flight, but crashed intact and went belly first into the sea.
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Robert Scovill of TN 11:59PM August 12, 2009
John Saunders 5:38PM August 10, 2009