Narrative:

1/sun/90 I arrived at the stuart airport, witham field. I conducted a thorough normal preflight inspection and was satisfied that everything was in order. I checked the fuel, draining all 3 sumps and opening both caps. The left-hand tank was low; the right-hand tank was 2/3 full. With permission from ground control, I taxied to runway 20 and did a normal runup, propeller and magneto check. I was cleared to takeoff southbound. I requested flight following to boca raton and was advised to proceed 2 mi offshore at or below 1000' for flight following around palm beach's approach area. It was quite choppy at that altitude, so I requested permission to climb to 3500' and cross mid-field of pbi on my way to boca with flight following. I was so cleared. Almost immediately I could tell that I would be unable to climb in that direction VFR and requested permission to return to 1000' and 2 mi offshore. A few mins after this, the aircraft engine started running rough. All the gauges appeared normal. I reported the engine roughness to approach control. Approach control suggested that I attempt to gain some altitude, which I did, and they gave me a new heading 190 degrees toward the airport. A few moments later, the engine began to run rougher and appeared to surge. It then appeared that the engine stopped running altogether. I attempted to switch tanks and tried to restart the engine. When it did not restart, I declared a mayday and picked out a spot to land. I advised approach control that I was headed for the beach since I was then only at 900'. I picked a spot and made a gear up landing. I landed fairly smoothly and came to rest in approximately 2' of water. Palm beach county sheriff's department arrived on the scene almost immediately as did other law enforcement officials. Sheriff's deputy advised me that the FAA inspectors were on their way and directed that I not move the aircraft, even though it was being caught by the tide and its contents were being damaged. 1 law enforcement person requested that I shut down the fuel valve to avoid gas leakage, which I did. Salvage services appeared on the scene and I requested that they put a rope on the plane to avoid it drifting offshore. The FAA inspectors arrived at about XA00 pm and commenced their investigation. They then told me that they were turning the aircraft back over to me for whatever purposes I cared to make. I asked salvage personnel to protect the aircraft and wait for instructions to commence operations to recover it from the beach. I called insurance broker and he advised me he could notify the insurance carrier in the morning. I revisited the site at approximately XH30 pm. It appeared that the salvage people were unable to prevent the plane from being covered with sand. I was unable to open the door to remove any personal items and left the scene a few mins thereafter. I returned the following day at noon and removed personal items, small tools, cleaning supplies, a blanket and my jacket.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE OFFSHORE OF PBI AND MADE A FORCED LNDG ON THE BEACH.

Narrative: 1/SUN/90 I ARRIVED AT THE STUART ARPT, WITHAM FIELD. I CONDUCTED A THOROUGH NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION AND WAS SATISFIED THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER. I CHKED THE FUEL, DRAINING ALL 3 SUMPS AND OPENING BOTH CAPS. THE LEFT-HAND TANK WAS LOW; THE RIGHT-HAND TANK WAS 2/3 FULL. WITH PERMISSION FROM GND CTL, I TAXIED TO RWY 20 AND DID A NORMAL RUNUP, PROP AND MAGNETO CHK. I WAS CLRED TO TKOF SBND. I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING TO BOCA RATON AND WAS ADVISED TO PROCEED 2 MI OFFSHORE AT OR BELOW 1000' FOR FLT FOLLOWING AROUND PALM BEACH'S APCH AREA. IT WAS QUITE CHOPPY AT THAT ALT, SO I REQUESTED PERMISSION TO CLB TO 3500' AND CROSS MID-FIELD OF PBI ON MY WAY TO BOCA WITH FLT FOLLOWING. I WAS SO CLRED. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I COULD TELL THAT I WOULD BE UNABLE TO CLB IN THAT DIRECTION VFR AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO RETURN TO 1000' AND 2 MI OFFSHORE. A FEW MINS AFTER THIS, THE ACFT ENG STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. ALL THE GAUGES APPEARED NORMAL. I RPTED THE ENG ROUGHNESS TO APCH CTL. APCH CTL SUGGESTED THAT I ATTEMPT TO GAIN SOME ALT, WHICH I DID, AND THEY GAVE ME A NEW HDG 190 DEGS TOWARD THE ARPT. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHER AND APPEARED TO SURGE. IT THEN APPEARED THAT THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING ALTOGETHER. I ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TANKS AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENG. WHEN IT DID NOT RESTART, I DECLARED A MAYDAY AND PICKED OUT A SPOT TO LAND. I ADVISED APCH CTL THAT I WAS HEADED FOR THE BEACH SINCE I WAS THEN ONLY AT 900'. I PICKED A SPOT AND MADE A GEAR UP LNDG. I LANDED FAIRLY SMOOTHLY AND CAME TO REST IN APPROX 2' OF WATER. PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AS DID OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ADVISED ME THAT THE FAA INSPECTORS WERE ON THEIR WAY AND DIRECTED THAT I NOT MOVE THE ACFT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BEING CAUGHT BY THE TIDE AND ITS CONTENTS WERE BEING DAMAGED. 1 LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSON REQUESTED THAT I SHUT DOWN THE FUEL VALVE TO AVOID GAS LEAKAGE, WHICH I DID. SALVAGE SVCS APPEARED ON THE SCENE AND I REQUESTED THAT THEY PUT A ROPE ON THE PLANE TO AVOID IT DRIFTING OFFSHORE. THE FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED AT ABOUT XA00 PM AND COMMENCED THEIR INVESTIGATION. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE TURNING THE ACFT BACK OVER TO ME FOR WHATEVER PURPOSES I CARED TO MAKE. I ASKED SALVAGE PERSONNEL TO PROTECT THE ACFT AND WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO COMMENCE OPS TO RECOVER IT FROM THE BEACH. I CALLED INSURANCE BROKER AND HE ADVISED ME HE COULD NOTIFY THE INSURANCE CARRIER IN THE MORNING. I REVISITED THE SITE AT APPROX XH30 PM. IT APPEARED THAT THE SALVAGE PEOPLE WERE UNABLE TO PREVENT THE PLANE FROM BEING COVERED WITH SAND. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO REMOVE ANY PERSONAL ITEMS AND LEFT THE SCENE A FEW MINS THEREAFTER. I RETURNED THE FOLLOWING DAY AT NOON AND REMOVED PERSONAL ITEMS, SMALL TOOLS, CLEANING SUPPLIES, A BLANKET AND MY JACKET.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.