Narrative:

The engine of grumman tiger (AA5B) failed during flight. After running roughly for about 15 mins, the engine seized. A forced landing was made on the beach approximately 3 mi northeast of ZZZ. This event occurred approximately 1 hour and 10 mins into a flight that originated at ZZZ2. The flight was uneventful. After turning for the final leg of the flight, I noticed showers between myself and airport. I elected to turn due east, cross over the northern end of another local airport and then turn south along the coast, flying at 1500 ft MSL. As I turned south, I experienced a drop in RPM from 2500 to 2000 RPM. I immediately turned on the fuel pump, adjusted both throttle and mixture. These actions had no effect on the rough running engine. At that point, I thought it was possibly fouled plugs and proceeded to try to isolate the magnetos. This had no effect on the engine. I then noticed that oil pressure was dropping and some oil drops on the canopy. During this time, I was able to initiate a slight climb at approximately 100-200 FPM. My airspeed was approximately 90 KIAS. I contacted ZZZ unicom and advised that the engine was running rough and losing oil pressure, but was climbing. I advised my intentions were to fly along the coast south and then over the waterway to land on runway 13 (the wind-favored runway). After approximately 10 mins of flight and as I was approaching the north end of ZZZ, the engine stopped. I immediately attempted a restart. The engine turned over for 2-3 seconds and then stopped. I noticed a puff of white smoke coming out from the front right side of the cowling. I immediately advised unicom of the situation and advised I would be making a beach landing. I then configured the aircraft for best glide, shut the fuel off, and opened the canopy. I left the master on, but turned off all electronics except the radios to advise unicom of position. The beach was sparsely populated. I did not see anyone on the beach except for 1 blue chair at the point I expected to touch down. I elected to touch down on the top portion of the beach to avoid the chair and any potential individuals. The aircraft touched down and rolled to a stop without further incident. The rollout was approximately 330 ft. There was no damage to the airframe. I exited the aircraft and waited for emergency services to arrive. Upon initial visual inspection, the #3 cylinder was found to have failed. There was extensive damage to the cylinder, as it had separated into 2 distinct parts. Later inspection revealed a hole had been punctured in the front left side of the engine block. Upon inspection of the logs, the aircraft was within its annual (due jul 2004). The engine, a lycoming 0-360, was 100 hours over its tbo (time between overhauls) of 2100 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AA5 SUFFERS CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE NEAR ZZZZ. LANDS ON THE BEACH ZZZ1 NE OF ARPT.

Narrative: THE ENG OF GRUMMAN TIGER (AA5B) FAILED DURING FLT. AFTER RUNNING ROUGHLY FOR ABOUT 15 MINS, THE ENG SEIZED. A FORCED LNDG WAS MADE ON THE BEACH APPROX 3 MI NE OF ZZZ. THIS EVENT OCCURRED APPROX 1 HR AND 10 MINS INTO A FLT THAT ORIGINATED AT ZZZ2. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER TURNING FOR THE FINAL LEG OF THE FLT, I NOTICED SHOWERS BTWN MYSELF AND ARPT. I ELECTED TO TURN DUE E, CROSS OVER THE NORTHERN END OF ANOTHER LCL ARPT AND THEN TURN S ALONG THE COAST, FLYING AT 1500 FT MSL. AS I TURNED S, I EXPERIENCED A DROP IN RPM FROM 2500 TO 2000 RPM. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP, ADJUSTED BOTH THROTTLE AND MIXTURE. THESE ACTIONS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE ROUGH RUNNING ENG. AT THAT POINT, I THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLY FOULED PLUGS AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO ISOLATE THE MAGNETOS. THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE ENG. I THEN NOTICED THAT OIL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING AND SOME OIL DROPS ON THE CANOPY. DURING THIS TIME, I WAS ABLE TO INITIATE A SLIGHT CLB AT APPROX 100-200 FPM. MY AIRSPD WAS APPROX 90 KIAS. I CONTACTED ZZZ UNICOM AND ADVISED THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND LOSING OIL PRESSURE, BUT WAS CLBING. I ADVISED MY INTENTIONS WERE TO FLY ALONG THE COAST S AND THEN OVER THE WATERWAY TO LAND ON RWY 13 (THE WIND-FAVORED RWY). AFTER APPROX 10 MINS OF FLT AND AS I WAS APCHING THE N END OF ZZZ, THE ENG STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED A RESTART. THE ENG TURNED OVER FOR 2-3 SECONDS AND THEN STOPPED. I NOTICED A PUFF OF WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT R SIDE OF THE COWLING. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED UNICOM OF THE SIT AND ADVISED I WOULD BE MAKING A BEACH LNDG. I THEN CONFIGURED THE ACFT FOR BEST GLIDE, SHUT THE FUEL OFF, AND OPENED THE CANOPY. I LEFT THE MASTER ON, BUT TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRONICS EXCEPT THE RADIOS TO ADVISE UNICOM OF POS. THE BEACH WAS SPARSELY POPULATED. I DID NOT SEE ANYONE ON THE BEACH EXCEPT FOR 1 BLUE CHAIR AT THE POINT I EXPECTED TO TOUCH DOWN. I ELECTED TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE TOP PORTION OF THE BEACH TO AVOID THE CHAIR AND ANY POTENTIAL INDIVIDUALS. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AND ROLLED TO A STOP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE ROLLOUT WAS APPROX 330 FT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. I EXITED THE ACFT AND WAITED FOR EMER SVCS TO ARRIVE. UPON INITIAL VISUAL INSPECTION, THE #3 CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER, AS IT HAD SEPARATED INTO 2 DISTINCT PARTS. LATER INSPECTION REVEALED A HOLE HAD BEEN PUNCTURED IN THE FRONT L SIDE OF THE ENG BLOCK. UPON INSPECTION OF THE LOGS, THE ACFT WAS WITHIN ITS ANNUAL (DUE JUL 2004). THE ENG, A LYCOMING 0-360, WAS 100 HRS OVER ITS TBO (TIME BTWN OVERHAULS) OF 2100 HRS.

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.