Narrative:

The 4 of us had completed 3 great days of bone fishing in andros but now was time to point the A36 bonanza north and head for home. But 'since we're here,' 1 more day would allow for flight over to eleuthera, a couple of 360's over spanish wells to observe hurricane damage and then take in 1/2 day of snorkeling at marsh harbor. Our course circled the north coast of new providence (nassau), proceeded northeast to spanish wells then crossed the northeast passage to the abacos and marsh harbor, our destination. Upon landing, our pilot issued a fuel order. Then we cleared immigration and went on into town to book a hotel for the night and a boat for our afternoon snorkel. The next morning when we arrived for our departure we found the ramp pretty much covered in water from the evening rain showers and we also found the aircraft had not been refueled as requested. So, as this was being accomplished, we loaded up while pilot performed the preflight. We were off to ft pierce where upon arrival we cleared customs, had breakfast and refueled. He did not rechk the sumps. En route WX consisted of a light drizzle, northeast winds and a heavy overcast under which conditions were VFR with limited visibility. While cruising off of savannah at 3500 ft, the engine suddenly stopped. No sputter, no cough, just quit! Below was a white capped ocean and in front a windmilling propeller. You could have heard a pin drop. I exclaimed 'fuel,' plugged in 121.5 and started tuning the transponder. Pilot meanwhile, had turned towards a veiled beach, set up a shallow glide and initiated restart procedures. Auxiliary fuel pump on, change tanks, restart! Quit again (now a strong fuel odor). Auxiliary pump off, retard throttle, advance throttle, restart! Whew! The whole event consumed maybe 8-10 seconds (and 400 ft), but it sure seemed longer. Upon landing, a sight glass check revealed 1/4 inch of water in the main and right wing sumps and about 1/8 in the left. Where it came from we don't know, but we do know there should be a waiting period for water, if any, to settle and a sump check after every refueling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR PAX RELATES THE EVENTS LEADING TO THE ENG STOPPING. THE PLT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENG, BUT APPARENTLY THERE HAD BEEN WATER IN THE MAIN, R AND L WING SUMPS.

Narrative: THE 4 OF US HAD COMPLETED 3 GREAT DAYS OF BONE FISHING IN ANDROS BUT NOW WAS TIME TO POINT THE A36 BONANZA N AND HEAD FOR HOME. BUT 'SINCE WE'RE HERE,' 1 MORE DAY WOULD ALLOW FOR FLT OVER TO ELEUTHERA, A COUPLE OF 360'S OVER SPANISH WELLS TO OBSERVE HURRICANE DAMAGE AND THEN TAKE IN 1/2 DAY OF SNORKELING AT MARSH HARBOR. OUR COURSE CIRCLED THE N COAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE (NASSAU), PROCEEDED NE TO SPANISH WELLS THEN CROSSED THE NE PASSAGE TO THE ABACOS AND MARSH HARBOR, OUR DEST. UPON LNDG, OUR PLT ISSUED A FUEL ORDER. THEN WE CLRED IMMIGRATION AND WENT ON INTO TOWN TO BOOK A HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT AND A BOAT FOR OUR AFTERNOON SNORKEL. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN WE ARRIVED FOR OUR DEP WE FOUND THE RAMP PRETTY MUCH COVERED IN WATER FROM THE EVENING RAIN SHOWERS AND WE ALSO FOUND THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED AS REQUESTED. SO, AS THIS WAS BEING ACCOMPLISHED, WE LOADED UP WHILE PLT PERFORMED THE PREFLT. WE WERE OFF TO FT PIERCE WHERE UPON ARR WE CLRED CUSTOMS, HAD BREAKFAST AND REFUELED. HE DID NOT RECHK THE SUMPS. ENRTE WX CONSISTED OF A LIGHT DRIZZLE, NE WINDS AND A HVY OVCST UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY. WHILE CRUISING OFF OF SAVANNAH AT 3500 FT, THE ENG SUDDENLY STOPPED. NO SPUTTER, NO COUGH, JUST QUIT! BELOW WAS A WHITE CAPPED OCEAN AND IN FRONT A WINDMILLING PROP. YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP. I EXCLAIMED 'FUEL,' PLUGGED IN 121.5 AND STARTED TUNING THE XPONDER. PLT MEANWHILE, HAD TURNED TOWARDS A VEILED BEACH, SET UP A SHALLOW GLIDE AND INITIATED RESTART PROCS. AUX FUEL PUMP ON, CHANGE TANKS, RESTART! QUIT AGAIN (NOW A STRONG FUEL ODOR). AUX PUMP OFF, RETARD THROTTLE, ADVANCE THROTTLE, RESTART! WHEW! THE WHOLE EVENT CONSUMED MAYBE 8-10 SECONDS (AND 400 FT), BUT IT SURE SEEMED LONGER. UPON LNDG, A SIGHT GLASS CHK REVEALED 1/4 INCH OF WATER IN THE MAIN AND R WING SUMPS AND ABOUT 1/8 IN THE L. WHERE IT CAME FROM WE DON'T KNOW, BUT WE DO KNOW THERE SHOULD BE A WAITING PERIOD FOR WATER, IF ANY, TO SETTLE AND A SUMP CHK AFTER EVERY REFUELING.

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.