Narrative:

My engine quit with the aircraft, an small aircraft with fixed gear, at 2000', approximately 11 mi from bli. Immediately I turned 90 degrees toward shore (about 7 mi away), declared an emergency, pulled the nose up to slow to 87 mph for best rate of G/south (should have been 85 mph), and tried to restart engine. I first pulled carburetor heat, pushed in full throttle and nothing happened. Next, I pulled out the primer and tried priming the engine. A few seconds after I did this, the engine started with full power. I called the bli tower and said I would follow the shoreline and try to make the airport. The engine quit again and I told the tower I would try for a large flat area near a marina (this turned out to be approximately 150' X 900'). Just before hitting the water, I slowed the aircraft to just above stall speed. The nose was high and the tail hit the water first. The aircraft didn't FLIP over and had very minor damage. It was retrieved 6 hours later. When I got close, I saw that I couldn't make it, so I told my passenger to open his door and I opened mine. My passenger got our right away, but I couldn't get out. The cabin completely filled with water, but my shoulder harnesses wouldn't come loose. I believe I swam out of my overcoat and suit coat and then went out of the passenger door. My passenger was holding onto the trailing edge of the wing and I asked him if he was ok. He said 'yes,' so I said, 'let's swim for shore' (about 100'), and we did. The one thing I failed to do, I think, was switch tanks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE QUITE OFF SHORE. PLT OF LAND ACFT MADE WATER LNDG CLOSE TO SHORE.

Narrative: MY ENG QUIT WITH THE ACFT, AN SMA WITH FIXED GEAR, AT 2000', APPROX 11 MI FROM BLI. IMMEDIATELY I TURNED 90 DEGS TOWARD SHORE (ABOUT 7 MI AWAY), DECLARED AN EMER, PULLED THE NOSE UP TO SLOW TO 87 MPH FOR BEST RATE OF G/S (SHOULD HAVE BEEN 85 MPH), AND TRIED TO RESTART ENG. I FIRST PULLED CARB HEAT, PUSHED IN FULL THROTTLE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. NEXT, I PULLED OUT THE PRIMER AND TRIED PRIMING THE ENG. A FEW SECS AFTER I DID THIS, THE ENG STARTED WITH FULL PWR. I CALLED THE BLI TWR AND SAID I WOULD FOLLOW THE SHORELINE AND TRY TO MAKE THE ARPT. THE ENG QUIT AGAIN AND I TOLD THE TWR I WOULD TRY FOR A LARGE FLAT AREA NEAR A MARINA (THIS TURNED OUT TO BE APPROX 150' X 900'). JUST BEFORE HITTING THE WATER, I SLOWED THE ACFT TO JUST ABOVE STALL SPD. THE NOSE WAS HIGH AND THE TAIL HIT THE WATER FIRST. THE ACFT DIDN'T FLIP OVER AND HAD VERY MINOR DAMAGE. IT WAS RETRIEVED 6 HRS LATER. WHEN I GOT CLOSE, I SAW THAT I COULDN'T MAKE IT, SO I TOLD MY PAX TO OPEN HIS DOOR AND I OPENED MINE. MY PAX GOT OUR RIGHT AWAY, BUT I COULDN'T GET OUT. THE CABIN COMPLETELY FILLED WITH WATER, BUT MY SHOULDER HARNESSES WOULDN'T COME LOOSE. I BELIEVE I SWAM OUT OF MY OVERCOAT AND SUIT COAT AND THEN WENT OUT OF THE PAX DOOR. MY PAX WAS HOLDING ONTO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING AND I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS OK. HE SAID 'YES,' SO I SAID, 'LET'S SWIM FOR SHORE' (ABOUT 100'), AND WE DID. THE ONE THING I FAILED TO DO, I THINK, WAS SWITCH TANKS.

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.