What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Ditched in Gulf on fish spotting flight. Circling for extent of fuel range. Fuel unporting circling left a factor. (.4)the pilot said, ' he thought that fuel would not be a problem due to the airplane having extended range fuel tanks which held 40 total gallons and burned 6 gallons per hour...I did a normal preflight inspection including, draining fuel sumps and visually checking the fuel....' He also stated, ' I flew one hour in level flight, after finding fish, I started a left turn in which I remained in for about two and a half hours waiting for my boat to arrive, when I began to experience a power loss so I began checking switches, magnetos and the fuel selector, and I began to rock the wings.' The pilot further stated, 'I should have had two and a half to three hours of fuel remaining, and had been advised by the mechanic/instructor not to always trust the fuel gages as they are not very dependable.' He said he ran the airplane at 2,000 rpm's to try to extend the fuel burn while he was circling a fishing boat 35 miles offshore at 4,000 feet trying to spot fish, t he engine stopped, and he started to descend. As he was passing through 2500 feet the engine started, and he elected to return to land. He was about 15 miles from key west when again the engine failed. He made a forced landing next to a lobester boat in the Gulf Of Mexico. The pilot stated, 'the aircraft was full of fule at the time of takeoff..' According to the aircraft's manual the aircraft holds 35 gallons and burns 6 gallons an hour which would have given him approximately 5 hours and 45 of fuel on board. The airplane was not recovered form the water, and no determination could be amde on the reason for the loss of engine power.
As the FAA filed it
DITCHED IN GULF ON FISH SPOTTING FLIGHT. CIRCLING FOR EXTENT OF FUEL RANGE. FUEL UNPORTING CIRCLING LEFT A FACTOR. (.4)THE PILOT SAID, ' HE THOUGHT THAT FUEL WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM DUE TO THE AIRPLANE HAVING EXTENDED RANGE FUEL TANKS WHICH HELD 40 TOTAL GALLONS AND BURNED 6 GALLONS PER HOUR...I DID A NORMAL PREFLIGHT INSPECTION INCLUDING, DRAINING FUEL SUMPS AND VISUALLY CHECKING THE FUEL....' HE ALSO STATED, ' I FLEW ONE HOUR IN LEVEL FLIGHT, AFTER FINDING FISH, I STARTED A LEFT TURN IN WHICH I REMAINED IN FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF HOURS WAITING FOR MY BOAT TO ARRIVE, WHEN I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A POWER LOSS SO I BEGAN CHECKING SWITCHES, MAGNETOS AND THE FUEL SELECTOR, AND I BEGAN TO ROCK THE WINGS.' THE PILOT FURTHER STATED, 'I SHOULD HAVE HAD TWO AND A HALF TO THREE HOURS OF FUEL REMAINING, AND HAD BEEN ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC/INSTRUCTOR NOT TO ALWAYS TRUST THE FUEL GAGES AS THEY ARE NOT VERY DEPENDABLE.' HE SAID HE RAN THE AIRPLANE AT 2,000 RPM'S TO TRY TO EXTEND THE FUEL BURN WHILE HE WAS CIRCLING A FISHING BOAT 35 MILES OFFSHORE AT 4,000 FEET TRYING TO SPOT FISH, T HE ENGINE STOPPED, AND HE STARTED TO DESCEND. AS HE WAS PASSING THROUGH 2500 FEET THE ENGINE STARTED, AND HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO LAND. HE WAS ABOUT 15 MILES FROM KEY WEST WHEN AGAIN THE ENGINE FAILED. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING NEXT TO A LOBESTER BOAT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE PILOT STATED, 'THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF FULE AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF..' ACCORDING TO THE AIRCRAFT'S MANUAL THE AIRCRAFT HOLDS 35 GALLONS AND BURNS 6 GALLONS AN HOUR WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS AND 45 OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT RECOVERED FORM THE WATER, AND NO DETERMINATION COULD BE AMDE ON THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.