Narrative:

The flight initiated at approximately XA05 at boeing field (bfi). I had taken a passenger to tiw to retrieve his aircraft, which had been there for avionics service. I experienced no abnormal indications during the flight from bfi to tiw. On departure from tiw, I experienced engine startup, taxi, takeoff and initial cruise flight also with no abnormal indications. I began cruise flight north of the town of gig harbor at approximately 1100 ft. The planned waypoint was the ferry dock at the north end of vashon island to begin the 'VFR vashon arrival.' at approximately XA50, while over the channel between gig harbor and vashon island, the engine abruptly quit producing power. The propeller continued to 'windmill,' but there was no thrust. I attempted restart procedures with no success. I immediately turned toward a private grass strip known as ZZZ. After approximately 2 mins of continuous attempts to restart, the engine started and regained full power. At that point, I began a best rate (vy) climb while maintaining a heading toward ZZZ. My intention was to enter a circling climb over ZZZ and obtain permission from approach control to enter class B airspace before continuing toward boeing field. However, at 2200 ft, over ZZZ, the engine quit again. At this point, I attempted restart procedures again. I was certain that I could safely land the aircraft with or without power, so I began to think about getting myself back to boeing field without the engine. While circling down without power, I called the tower at tiw to ask them to relay a message to the pilot of aircraft Y. I knew he would be leaving soon from tiw and I thought he could pick me up at ZZZ and take me to bfi. That was the only transmission I made during the episode. Once on the ground at ZZZ, I attempted a normal start procedure. The only result was a sputtering that I would call a 'near start.' several days later, a technician from diamond arrived and repaired the aircraft on site. It was then flown back to bfi. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the engine in the aircraft is a continental io-240 with fuel injection. The mechanics found the fuel injection linkage had come loose, not allowing fuel to the engine. Pilot states that he would have landed in the water if he had not had the engine burst when he did. The aircraft was not damaged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIAMOND DA20-C1 PLT HAD A LOSS OF ENG PWR, AND MADE A FORCED LNDG AT A PVT ARPT.

Narrative: THE FLT INITIATED AT APPROX XA05 AT BOEING FIELD (BFI). I HAD TAKEN A PAX TO TIW TO RETRIEVE HIS ACFT, WHICH HAD BEEN THERE FOR AVIONICS SVC. I EXPERIENCED NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS DURING THE FLT FROM BFI TO TIW. ON DEP FROM TIW, I EXPERIENCED ENG STARTUP, TAXI, TKOF AND INITIAL CRUISE FLT ALSO WITH NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. I BEGAN CRUISE FLT N OF THE TOWN OF GIG HARBOR AT APPROX 1100 FT. THE PLANNED WAYPOINT WAS THE FERRY DOCK AT THE N END OF VASHON ISLAND TO BEGIN THE 'VFR VASHON ARR.' AT APPROX XA50, WHILE OVER THE CHANNEL BTWN GIG HARBOR AND VASHON ISLAND, THE ENG ABRUPTLY QUIT PRODUCING PWR. THE PROP CONTINUED TO 'WINDMILL,' BUT THERE WAS NO THRUST. I ATTEMPTED RESTART PROCS WITH NO SUCCESS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARD A PVT GRASS STRIP KNOWN AS ZZZ. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS OF CONTINUOUS ATTEMPTS TO RESTART, THE ENG STARTED AND REGAINED FULL PWR. AT THAT POINT, I BEGAN A BEST RATE (VY) CLB WHILE MAINTAINING A HDG TOWARD ZZZ. MY INTENTION WAS TO ENTER A CIRCLING CLB OVER ZZZ AND OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM APCH CTL TO ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE CONTINUING TOWARD BOEING FIELD. HOWEVER, AT 2200 FT, OVER ZZZ, THE ENG QUIT AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, I ATTEMPTED RESTART PROCS AGAIN. I WAS CERTAIN THAT I COULD SAFELY LAND THE ACFT WITH OR WITHOUT PWR, SO I BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT GETTING MYSELF BACK TO BOEING FIELD WITHOUT THE ENGINE. WHILE CIRCLING DOWN WITHOUT PWR, I CALLED THE TWR AT TIW TO ASK THEM TO RELAY A MESSAGE TO THE PLT OF ACFT Y. I KNEW HE WOULD BE LEAVING SOON FROM TIW AND I THOUGHT HE COULD PICK ME UP AT ZZZ AND TAKE ME TO BFI. THAT WAS THE ONLY XMISSION I MADE DURING THE EPISODE. ONCE ON THE GND AT ZZZ, I ATTEMPTED A NORMAL START PROC. THE ONLY RESULT WAS A SPUTTERING THAT I WOULD CALL A 'NEAR START.' SEVERAL DAYS LATER, A TECHNICIAN FROM DIAMOND ARRIVED AND REPAIRED THE ACFT ON SITE. IT WAS THEN FLOWN BACK TO BFI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ENG IN THE ACFT IS A CONTINENTAL IO-240 WITH FUEL INJECTION. THE MECHS FOUND THE FUEL INJECTION LINKAGE HAD COME LOOSE, NOT ALLOWING FUEL TO THE ENG. PLT STATES THAT HE WOULD HAVE LANDED IN THE WATER IF HE HAD NOT HAD THE ENG BURST WHEN HE DID. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED.

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.