Narrative:

About XA30 pm, a friend and I decided to fly the rv-4. The plane was full of fuel as I had filled it at picayune, ms, the previous afternoon. It holds 32 gals, and consumption from picayune back to lakefront was probably about 4 gals, for what is about a 20 min flight. I monitor fuel consumption with fuel gauges, visual inspection, and also a fuel flow, fuel remaining meter. We did a couple of touch and goes at lakefront and then flew to stennis. Airplane performance was normal in all respects. We stayed at stennis until about XC30 pm, and then returned directly to lakefront, arriving about XD00 pm. On leaving stennis, both tanks were about 3/4 full, or 24 gals total. Consumption back to lakefront was about 4 gals, leaving 20 gals in the tanks. On arriving at lakefront we were first given runway 18R, and then switched to runway 18L. I usually use full flaps and propeller in full fine pitch to slow the plane down to about 65 KTS on final. It also requires almost idle power to slow down. We were about 1/2 mi out at 300 ft when I added additional power to maintain glide path. There was no response from the engine, although the propeller was still turning, all levers full forward, and the fuel pump was on. The plane struck the water about 200 yards from the end of runway 18L. We landed in nose up attitude, perfectly flat. The plane settled nose down in about 8 ft of water. We stayed at the plane until picked up by boat in about 10 mins. There were no injuries. I really don't know what caused loss of power. I had some problems with vapor lock, and also engine was rough at low RPM, idle, probably due to ellison carburetor adjustment. Also had electronic ignition on plane, on 4 plugs, however magnetos on other 4 plugs should have kept it running. Fuel exhaustion is always a possibility. However, it is hard to use 32 gals in 1 1/2 hours flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 18L AT NEW AND WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY PWR OUT OF ENG TO MAKE IT TO THE RWY. ACFT DITCHED IN WATER APPROX 200 YDS SHORT OF THE RWY. NO INJURIES AND SOME DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Narrative: ABOUT XA30 PM, A FRIEND AND I DECIDED TO FLY THE RV-4. THE PLANE WAS FULL OF FUEL AS I HAD FILLED IT AT PICAYUNE, MS, THE PREVIOUS AFTERNOON. IT HOLDS 32 GALS, AND CONSUMPTION FROM PICAYUNE BACK TO LAKEFRONT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 4 GALS, FOR WHAT IS ABOUT A 20 MIN FLT. I MONITOR FUEL CONSUMPTION WITH FUEL GAUGES, VISUAL INSPECTION, AND ALSO A FUEL FLOW, FUEL REMAINING METER. WE DID A COUPLE OF TOUCH AND GOES AT LAKEFRONT AND THEN FLEW TO STENNIS. AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE WAS NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS. WE STAYED AT STENNIS UNTIL ABOUT XC30 PM, AND THEN RETURNED DIRECTLY TO LAKEFRONT, ARRIVING ABOUT XD00 PM. ON LEAVING STENNIS, BOTH TANKS WERE ABOUT 3/4 FULL, OR 24 GALS TOTAL. CONSUMPTION BACK TO LAKEFRONT WAS ABOUT 4 GALS, LEAVING 20 GALS IN THE TANKS. ON ARRIVING AT LAKEFRONT WE WERE FIRST GIVEN RWY 18R, AND THEN SWITCHED TO RWY 18L. I USUALLY USE FULL FLAPS AND PROP IN FULL FINE PITCH TO SLOW THE PLANE DOWN TO ABOUT 65 KTS ON FINAL. IT ALSO REQUIRES ALMOST IDLE PWR TO SLOW DOWN. WE WERE ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT AT 300 FT WHEN I ADDED ADDITIONAL PWR TO MAINTAIN GLIDE PATH. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENG, ALTHOUGH THE PROP WAS STILL TURNING, ALL LEVERS FULL FORWARD, AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS ON. THE PLANE STRUCK THE WATER ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM THE END OF RWY 18L. WE LANDED IN NOSE UP ATTITUDE, PERFECTLY FLAT. THE PLANE SETTLED NOSE DOWN IN ABOUT 8 FT OF WATER. WE STAYED AT THE PLANE UNTIL PICKED UP BY BOAT IN ABOUT 10 MINS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED LOSS OF PWR. I HAD SOME PROBS WITH VAPOR LOCK, AND ALSO ENG WAS ROUGH AT LOW RPM, IDLE, PROBABLY DUE TO ELLISON CARB ADJUSTMENT. ALSO HAD ELECTRONIC IGNITION ON PLANE, ON 4 PLUGS, HOWEVER MAGNETOS ON OTHER 4 PLUGS SHOULD HAVE KEPT IT RUNNING. FUEL EXHAUSTION IS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY. HOWEVER, IT IS HARD TO USE 32 GALS IN 1 1/2 HRS FLYING.

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.