Narrative:

I arrived at michael smith field, beaufort, nc. The FBO was attended by mr. X, CFI. I picked up the time (hobbs) sheet for small aircraft, proceeded to the aircraft and began preflight inspection. Fuel gauges indicated 1/2 full for both tanks. External preflight was conducted. Fuel was drained 3 times from each wing and engine sump. Wing tanks were visually inspected and I protruded my middle and index finger into the tanks, immersing them to the first knuckle. The oil level was checked at 6 quarts, all other items were also normal. After completing preflight, I returned to the FBO and asked mr. X if he'd like me to pull aircraft to the FBO so he could fill the tanks. I told him there was about 1/2 in each tank and I could touch fuel. He asked what would be my flight time. I replied '1 hour or so' and he said he'd 'top off the tanks' after my return, and to 'let it go until then.' at this time, mr. Y, cfii, entered the FBO, joined the conversation and stated 'if you can touch fuel, you're ok.' mr. X added that aircraft only had 'an hour out of her' after previously filling. I concurred that it would be reasonable to embark based on approximately 10 gallons usable reserve. My passenger arrived at the FBO, we boarded the aircraft and started. I routinely set my watch to note flight time to compare with hobbs. We taxied to runway 21, held short and run-up. We broadcast departure on unicom (122.8) and did 3 touch-and-goes. Following these, we departed the pattern to the southeast, climbing to 1000 ft AGL. We made a gentle left 180 degree turn for another pass over cape lookout at 1100 ft AGL, heading 120 degrees. After 20-30 seconds, the aircraft began to vibrate strongly, and I noticed a strong metallic, burning odor. The RPM dropped to 2100, and I added carburetor heat and power without effect. Fuel gauges read just under 1/4 full and oil temperature and pressure were vibrating. I enriched mix to full, turned left 180 degrees to a 300 degree heading back to the field. The aircraft was still vibrating badly, as we proceeded over shackleford banks at 1100 ft AGL, there were 2 loud bangs and theeng quit. The propeller stopped and RPM fell to '0.' I called 'mayday' over unicom, and began to hold the aircraft for glide speed, as it went into an immediate descent. I had lost about 250 ft. At about 800 ft AGL the engine surged, producing a very loud grinding noise. RPM jumped to 1000-1200 and the propeller erratically turned through about 1 revolution. With my initial descent, the airspeed was at 80 mph. I decided to trade altitude for speed and was able to climb to 950 ft before the speed bled to 65 mph. At this point the engine quit again, the propeller stopped and RPM went to '0.' I was on a 320 degree heading and realized that I couldn't make the field. With the town of beaufort ahead of me, I turned to 260 degrees away from the town, and with full carburetor heat, rich mixture I reinjected primer and attempted restart. I attempted a second restart, both unsuccessful. Ahead of me now was shackleford beach. I noticed many boaters and swimmers, so I turned to 200 degrees and tried a third restart, to no avail. The beach ahead of me was narrow and bounded by trees. I didn't want to risk flipping on the sand or impacting trees, so I decided to put down in the shallow water, sound-side, off shackleford banks. Descending through 300 ft AGL, I broadcast that I was ditching and gave my relative position. I tightened my harness and my passenger's and opened my door slightly. The aircraft was trimmed and I held aft yoke for nose high attitude, my airspeed was 55 mph, wings level. The RAIL gently touched first, the left gear apparently struck a swell. The aircraft swung left, I applied full right rudder, the right gear entered the water, the drag causing the nose to fall through. The aircraft came to an abrupt stop in 3 - 3 1/2 ft of water, approximately 300 yards from shore. I switched off avionics and master, engaged the ELT, unstrapped myself and my passenger, egressed and assisted my passenger from my side after inquiring of her condition. Both my passenger and I were completely uninjured. I waded my passenger about 50 ft from the aircraft, and went back to inspect the aircraft. I noted my watch. Upon inspecting the hobbs meter it was noted that 1.0 hour flight time elapsed. The ailerons and elevator were free and coupled, there was no cabin damage (except water), and the left wingtip (outboard of aileron) and cowl were dented. The fiberglass fairing around the nosewheel was mangled. The propeller had 1 bent blade and was free and could be manually turned. Visual inspection of wing tanks revealed approximately 2-3 inches of fuel in each tank. At that time, a small boat came to the scene. I escorted my passenger to the boat, and waited at the scene until arrival of the coast guard. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of engine failure. It is my contention that magneto or crankshaft dysfunction was a cause.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLYING OVER OCEAN JUST OFF SHORE HAS ENG QUIT. EMER LNDG IN SHALLOW WATER.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT MICHAEL SMITH FIELD, BEAUFORT, NC. THE FBO WAS ATTENDED BY MR. X, CFI. I PICKED UP THE TIME (HOBBS) SHEET FOR SMA, PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT AND BEGAN PREFLT INSPECTION. FUEL GAUGES INDICATED 1/2 FULL FOR BOTH TANKS. EXTERNAL PREFLT WAS CONDUCTED. FUEL WAS DRAINED 3 TIMES FROM EACH WING AND ENG SUMP. WING TANKS WERE VISUALLY INSPECTED AND I PROTRUDED MY MIDDLE AND INDEX FINGER INTO THE TANKS, IMMERSING THEM TO THE FIRST KNUCKLE. THE OIL LEVEL WAS CHKED AT 6 QUARTS, ALL OTHER ITEMS WERE ALSO NORMAL. AFTER COMPLETING PREFLT, I RETURNED TO THE FBO AND ASKED MR. X IF HE'D LIKE ME TO PULL ACFT TO THE FBO SO HE COULD FILL THE TANKS. I TOLD HIM THERE WAS ABOUT 1/2 IN EACH TANK AND I COULD TOUCH FUEL. HE ASKED WHAT WOULD BE MY FLT TIME. I REPLIED '1 HR OR SO' AND HE SAID HE'D 'TOP OFF THE TANKS' AFTER MY RETURN, AND TO 'LET IT GO UNTIL THEN.' AT THIS TIME, MR. Y, CFII, ENTERED THE FBO, JOINED THE CONVERSATION AND STATED 'IF YOU CAN TOUCH FUEL, YOU'RE OK.' MR. X ADDED THAT ACFT ONLY HAD 'AN HR OUT OF HER' AFTER PREVIOUSLY FILLING. I CONCURRED THAT IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO EMBARK BASED ON APPROX 10 GALLONS USABLE RESERVE. MY PAX ARRIVED AT THE FBO, WE BOARDED THE ACFT AND STARTED. I ROUTINELY SET MY WATCH TO NOTE FLT TIME TO COMPARE WITH HOBBS. WE TAXIED TO RWY 21, HELD SHORT AND RUN-UP. WE BROADCAST DEP ON UNICOM (122.8) AND DID 3 TOUCH-AND-GOES. FOLLOWING THESE, WE DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO THE SE, CLBING TO 1000 FT AGL. WE MADE A GENTLE LEFT 180 DEG TURN FOR ANOTHER PASS OVER CAPE LOOKOUT AT 1100 FT AGL, HDG 120 DEGS. AFTER 20-30 SECONDS, THE ACFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE STRONGLY, AND I NOTICED A STRONG METALLIC, BURNING ODOR. THE RPM DROPPED TO 2100, AND I ADDED CARB HEAT AND PWR WITHOUT EFFECT. FUEL GAUGES READ JUST UNDER 1/4 FULL AND OIL TEMP AND PRESSURE WERE VIBRATING. I ENRICHED MIX TO FULL, TURNED L 180 DEGS TO A 300 DEG HDG BACK TO THE FIELD. THE ACFT WAS STILL VIBRATING BADLY, AS WE PROCEEDED OVER SHACKLEFORD BANKS AT 1100 FT AGL, THERE WERE 2 LOUD BANGS AND THEENG QUIT. THE PROP STOPPED AND RPM FELL TO '0.' I CALLED 'MAYDAY' OVER UNICOM, AND BEGAN TO HOLD THE ACFT FOR GLIDE SPD, AS IT WENT INTO AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. I HAD LOST ABOUT 250 FT. AT ABOUT 800 FT AGL THE ENG SURGED, PRODUCING A VERY LOUD GRINDING NOISE. RPM JUMPED TO 1000-1200 AND THE PROP ERRATICALLY TURNED THROUGH ABOUT 1 REVOLUTION. WITH MY INITIAL DSCNT, THE AIRSPD WAS AT 80 MPH. I DECIDED TO TRADE ALT FOR SPD AND WAS ABLE TO CLB TO 950 FT BEFORE THE SPD BLED TO 65 MPH. AT THIS POINT THE ENG QUIT AGAIN, THE PROP STOPPED AND RPM WENT TO '0.' I WAS ON A 320 DEG HDG AND REALIZED THAT I COULDN'T MAKE THE FIELD. WITH THE TOWN OF BEAUFORT AHEAD OF ME, I TURNED TO 260 DEGS AWAY FROM THE TOWN, AND WITH FULL CARB HEAT, RICH MIXTURE I REINJECTED PRIMER AND ATTEMPTED RESTART. I ATTEMPTED A SECOND RESTART, BOTH UNSUCCESSFUL. AHEAD OF ME NOW WAS SHACKLEFORD BEACH. I NOTICED MANY BOATERS AND SWIMMERS, SO I TURNED TO 200 DEGS AND TRIED A THIRD RESTART, TO NO AVAIL. THE BEACH AHEAD OF ME WAS NARROW AND BOUNDED BY TREES. I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK FLIPPING ON THE SAND OR IMPACTING TREES, SO I DECIDED TO PUT DOWN IN THE SHALLOW WATER, SOUND-SIDE, OFF SHACKLEFORD BANKS. DSNDING THROUGH 300 FT AGL, I BROADCAST THAT I WAS DITCHING AND GAVE MY RELATIVE POS. I TIGHTENED MY HARNESS AND MY PAX'S AND OPENED MY DOOR SLIGHTLY. THE ACFT WAS TRIMMED AND I HELD AFT YOKE FOR NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, MY AIRSPD WAS 55 MPH, WINGS LEVEL. THE RAIL GENTLY TOUCHED FIRST, THE L GEAR APPARENTLY STRUCK A SWELL. THE ACFT SWUNG L, I APPLIED FULL R RUDDER, THE R GEAR ENTERED THE WATER, THE DRAG CAUSING THE NOSE TO FALL THROUGH. THE ACFT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP IN 3 - 3 1/2 FT OF WATER, APPROX 300 YARDS FROM SHORE. I SWITCHED OFF AVIONICS AND MASTER, ENGAGED THE ELT, UNSTRAPPED MYSELF AND MY PAX, EGRESSED AND ASSISTED MY PAX FROM MY SIDE AFTER INQUIRING OF HER CONDITION. BOTH MY PAX AND I WERE COMPLETELY UNINJURED. I WADED MY PAX ABOUT 50 FT FROM THE ACFT, AND WENT BACK TO INSPECT THE ACFT. I NOTED MY WATCH. UPON INSPECTING THE HOBBS METER IT WAS NOTED THAT 1.0 HR FLT TIME ELAPSED. THE AILERONS AND ELEVATOR WERE FREE AND COUPLED, THERE WAS NO CABIN DAMAGE (EXCEPT WATER), AND THE L WINGTIP (OUTBOARD OF AILERON) AND COWL WERE DENTED. THE FIBERGLASS FAIRING AROUND THE NOSEWHEEL WAS MANGLED. THE PROP HAD 1 BENT BLADE AND WAS FREE AND COULD BE MANUALLY TURNED. VISUAL INSPECTION OF WING TANKS REVEALED APPROX 2-3 INCHES OF FUEL IN EACH TANK. AT THAT TIME, A SMALL BOAT CAME TO THE SCENE. I ESCORTED MY PAX TO THE BOAT, AND WAITED AT THE SCENE UNTIL ARR OF THE COAST GUARD. AN INVESTIGATION IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF ENG FAILURE. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT MAGNETO OR CRANKSHAFT DYSFUNCTION WAS A CAUSE.

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.