Narrative:

P210 over mke at 9000 ft. Was noticing a rapid loss of fuel compared to flight plan. Requested at 9000 ft over mke to change destination to milwaukee instead of enw which was 9 mins away. Given clearance to circle, descend for runway 26R. After 1 360 degree turn, still too much altitude so requested second 360 degree turn into mke. Was instructed to head north still descending. Requested another time turn to mke and told not for another mi. Engine failed and declared emergency. Turn to airport prepped passenger. Told mke was not going to make mke. Asked them where I could put it and had no response. Prepped passenger for a watch landing. They put on life preservers. I was not able to put mine on because I was 2200 ft over water when she quit. I tried to restart and trying the other fuel tanks and pumps but nothing seemed to solve the problem. I told approach we are going into the water. I opened my window and propped the door open. Right before impact I tilted the wing to the left and struck my left front cowling and ripped off my horizontal stabilizer. I tilted the wings because I was concerned with flipping over the nose. It worked. The flight plan had at least 12 gallons of fuel that disappeared. Water came rushing into the cabin as I opened the door. I told everyone to get out. The person sitting in the copilot seat was then able to push the door open and get out then he helped the rear passenger behind him get out. I pulled my passenger out also and we were resting with our arms as the coast guard pulled up about 2 mins from splash down. As I understand it the coast guard never got a call from the tower that I went down. We were all pulled out of the water and were brought to a waiting ambulance. The plane sank within 4 mins. The ambulance just helped us warm up. There were no injuries. We pulled the plane out about 24 hours later. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has received a letter from the FAA. They consider this fuel mismgmnt. Reporter has no idea why the rapid fuel loss occurred. The damage was minimal to the aircraft but the FAA kept it for 11 days prior to release so all of the avionics were destroyed. FAA also charged reporter with failure to declare an emergency early enough to be helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS RAPID FUEL LOSS, ENG FAILURE. LANDS IN WATER.

Narrative: P210 OVER MKE AT 9000 FT. WAS NOTICING A RAPID LOSS OF FUEL COMPARED TO FLT PLAN. REQUESTED AT 9000 FT OVER MKE TO CHANGE DEST TO MILWAUKEE INSTEAD OF ENW WHICH WAS 9 MINS AWAY. GIVEN CLRNC TO CIRCLE, DSND FOR RWY 26R. AFTER 1 360 DEG TURN, STILL TOO MUCH ALT SO REQUESTED SECOND 360 DEG TURN INTO MKE. WAS INSTRUCTED TO HEAD N STILL DSNDING. REQUESTED ANOTHER TIME TURN TO MKE AND TOLD NOT FOR ANOTHER MI. ENG FAILED AND DECLARED EMER. TURN TO ARPT PREPPED PAX. TOLD MKE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE MKE. ASKED THEM WHERE I COULD PUT IT AND HAD NO RESPONSE. PREPPED PAX FOR A WATCH LNDG. THEY PUT ON LIFE PRESERVERS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO PUT MINE ON BECAUSE I WAS 2200 FT OVER WATER WHEN SHE QUIT. I TRIED TO RESTART AND TRYING THE OTHER FUEL TANKS AND PUMPS BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO SOLVE THE PROB. I TOLD APCH WE ARE GOING INTO THE WATER. I OPENED MY WINDOW AND PROPPED THE DOOR OPEN. RIGHT BEFORE IMPACT I TILTED THE WING TO THE L AND STRUCK MY L FRONT COWLING AND RIPPED OFF MY HORIZ STABILIZER. I TILTED THE WINGS BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED WITH FLIPPING OVER THE NOSE. IT WORKED. THE FLT PLAN HAD AT LEAST 12 GALLONS OF FUEL THAT DISAPPEARED. WATER CAME RUSHING INTO THE CABIN AS I OPENED THE DOOR. I TOLD EVERYONE TO GET OUT. THE PERSON SITTING IN THE COPLT SEAT WAS THEN ABLE TO PUSH THE DOOR OPEN AND GET OUT THEN HE HELPED THE REAR PAX BEHIND HIM GET OUT. I PULLED MY PAX OUT ALSO AND WE WERE RESTING WITH OUR ARMS AS THE COAST GUARD PULLED UP ABOUT 2 MINS FROM SPLASH DOWN. AS I UNDERSTAND IT THE COAST GUARD NEVER GOT A CALL FROM THE TWR THAT I WENT DOWN. WE WERE ALL PULLED OUT OF THE WATER AND WERE BROUGHT TO A WAITING AMBULANCE. THE PLANE SANK WITHIN 4 MINS. THE AMBULANCE JUST HELPED US WARM UP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. WE PULLED THE PLANE OUT ABOUT 24 HRS LATER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE FAA. THEY CONSIDER THIS FUEL MISMGMNT. RPTR HAS NO IDEA WHY THE RAPID FUEL LOSS OCCURRED. THE DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL TO THE ACFT BUT THE FAA KEPT IT FOR 11 DAYS PRIOR TO RELEASE SO ALL OF THE AVIONICS WERE DESTROYED. FAA ALSO CHARGED RPTR WITH FAILURE TO DECLARE AN EMER EARLY ENOUGH TO BE HELPED.

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.