Narrative:

After having completed a series of touch and go's on the river and beginning a turn toward home, the engine quit. Use of the wobble pump and switching tanks failed to produce sustained power. Lack of remaining water before bridge and trees prevented an immediate landing. Airspeed was traded for altitude to clear obstacles. The resulting, unavoidable airspeed decrease left insufficient airspeed to totally check the rate of descent during flare on the river after the bridge. The hard, flat landing caused some damage to float structures. Plane floated ok and was towed to shore. Total elapsed time from beginning to end of emergency was less than 1 min. Recommendation: during low altitude operations, a pilot should take special precautions for possible engine malfunction. It is not enough to have water underneath you--one must have sufficient water remaining in front of the aircraft for immediate landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT SEAPLANE MADE HARD LDNG WHEN ENGINE QUIT WHILE PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LNDGS.

Narrative: AFTER HAVING COMPLETED A SERIES OF TOUCH AND GO'S ON THE RIVER AND BEGINNING A TURN TOWARD HOME, THE ENG QUIT. USE OF THE WOBBLE PUMP AND SWITCHING TANKS FAILED TO PRODUCE SUSTAINED PWR. LACK OF REMAINING WATER BEFORE BRIDGE AND TREES PREVENTED AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. AIRSPD WAS TRADED FOR ALT TO CLR OBSTACLES. THE RESULTING, UNAVOIDABLE AIRSPD DECREASE LEFT INSUFFICIENT AIRSPD TO TOTALLY CHK THE RATE OF DSCNT DURING FLARE ON THE RIVER AFTER THE BRIDGE. THE HARD, FLAT LNDG CAUSED SOME DAMAGE TO FLOAT STRUCTURES. PLANE FLOATED OK AND WAS TOWED TO SHORE. TOTAL ELAPSED TIME FROM BEGINNING TO END OF EMER WAS LESS THAN 1 MIN. RECOMMENDATION: DURING LOW ALT OPS, A PLT SHOULD TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS FOR POSSIBLE ENG MALFUNCTION. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE WATER UNDERNEATH YOU--ONE MUST HAVE SUFFICIENT WATER REMAINING IN FRONT OF THE ACFT FOR IMMEDIATE LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.