What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on climbout. Ditched in gulf. Hole in induction elbow but did not cause power loss. (-23) on 6 July 1997, at 0900 central daylight time, a Cessna P210N, N222WE landed in the water following an emergency loss of power after takeoff from the Destin/fort Walton Beach airport in Destin, Florida. This was a personal flight operated under 14 CFR part 91 under an instrument flight plan in visual meteorological conditions. The airplane sustained substantial damage on impacting the water and the pilot and passenger were uninjured. The pilot stated that he was at approximately 500 feet altitude. He adjusted power to climb power and the engine surged and then lost power to approximately 1500 RPM. He then landed with minimal power approximately 1/2 mile from shore.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. DITCHED IN GULF. HOLE IN INDUCTION ELBOW BUT DID NOT CAUSE POWER LOSS. (-23) ON 6 JULY 1997, AT 0900 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA P210N, N222WE LANDED IN THE WATER FOLLOWING AN EMERGENCY LOSS OF POWER AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE DESTIN/FORT WALTON BEACH AIRPORT IN DESTIN, FLORIDA. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 UNDER AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON IMPACTING THE WATER AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET ALTITUDE. HE ADJUSTED POWER TO CLIMB POWER AND THE ENGINE SURGED AND THEN LOST POWER TO APPROXIMATELY 1500 RPM. HE THEN LANDED WITH MINIMAL POWER APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM SHORE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.