Narrative:

I took off from pilot station with 59 pounds of mail and about 46 gallons of fuel. I was burning off the left tank. I made a right turn out to the west after departing runway 7. After departing the traffic pattern, I called in my ETA at st. Mary's of 10 mins on company frequency. I then switched to st. Mary's CTAF and called in my position when I was 10 mi out. I was at 300 AGL. A short time later the engine sputtered, vibrated a little and then quit. I looked for a place to land, found a clearing with a small pond in it to my right and turned toward it. I then attempted to restart the engine by switching tanks to the right tank, advancing mixture, propeller and throttle controls to the full forward position, activating the emergency and auxiliary fuel pumps and checking the mags. The engine didn't restart. I then put 10 degree of flaps down, let the airplane stabilize then put the rest of the flaps down. I intended to land in the shallow water on the far side of the pond and let my momentum carry me to shore. As I started my flare, the engine sputtered a little. As the left main gear struck the water, the engine came to life and appeared to be generating full power. The airplane veered to the left sharply as it sank deeper into the water. At that point, I'm not sure if the engine stopped or if I pulled the throttle back. I escaped without injury through the left window. The airplane settled in about 4 1/2 ft of water. I sustained no injuries and the aircraft appeared to be undamaged. The power loss appears to be from fuel contamination. If I was at a higher altitude, this may have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO AIR TAXI HAS ENG QUIT WHEN 7 MI FROM ARPT. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM PLT STATION WITH 59 POUNDS OF MAIL AND ABOUT 46 GALLONS OF FUEL. I WAS BURNING OFF THE L TANK. I MADE A R TURN OUT TO THE W AFTER DEPARTING RWY 7. AFTER DEPARTING THE TFC PATTERN, I CALLED IN MY ETA AT ST. MARY'S OF 10 MINS ON COMPANY FREQ. I THEN SWITCHED TO ST. MARY'S CTAF AND CALLED IN MY POS WHEN I WAS 10 MI OUT. I WAS AT 300 AGL. A SHORT TIME LATER THE ENG SPUTTERED, VIBRATED A LITTLE AND THEN QUIT. I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND, FOUND A CLRING WITH A SMALL POND IN IT TO MY R AND TURNED TOWARD IT. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG BY SWITCHING TANKS TO THE R TANK, ADVANCING MIXTURE, PROP AND THROTTLE CTLS TO THE FULL FORWARD POS, ACTIVATING THE EMER AND AUX FUEL PUMPS AND CHKING THE MAGS. THE ENG DIDN'T RESTART. I THEN PUT 10 DEG OF FLAPS DOWN, LET THE AIRPLANE STABILIZE THEN PUT THE REST OF THE FLAPS DOWN. I INTENDED TO LAND IN THE SHALLOW WATER ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE POND AND LET MY MOMENTUM CARRY ME TO SHORE. AS I STARTED MY FLARE, THE ENG SPUTTERED A LITTLE. AS THE L MAIN GEAR STRUCK THE WATER, THE ENG CAME TO LIFE AND APPEARED TO BE GENERATING FULL PWR. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE L SHARPLY AS IT SANK DEEPER INTO THE WATER. AT THAT POINT, I'M NOT SURE IF THE ENG STOPPED OR IF I PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK. I ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY THROUGH THE L WINDOW. THE AIRPLANE SETTLED IN ABOUT 4 1/2 FT OF WATER. I SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AND THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE UNDAMAGED. THE PWR LOSS APPEARS TO BE FROM FUEL CONTAMINATION. IF I WAS AT A HIGHER ALT, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.