What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 21, 2007, about 1918 eastern daylight time, a smith wheeler exp 2000, amateur built airplane, had a loss of engine power and was ditched in the st. lucie river at Stuart, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight from lakeland, Florida, to Stuart. The airline transport pilot received minor injuries and the airplane received substantial damage. The flight originated from lakeland, the same day, about 1815. The pilot stated he was on a left base leg for runway 7 at Stuart. His altitude was between 700 and 800 feet. Suddenly the engine lost all power. Because of his low altitude he did not have time to troubleshoot the reason for the power loss. He noticed all roads had vehicle traffic and he elected to ditch the airplane in the st. lucie river. He established the best glide speed for the airplane and aimed for a spot close to shore. While at an altitude of 20 feet, as he slowed for the ditching, the airplane inadvertently stalled. The left wing and nose dropped down and the airplane descended. The airplane impacted the water nose low, left wing down. The left wing and the tail section separated from the airplane upon impact. He exited the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 21, 2007, ABOUT 1918 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SMITH WHEELER EXP 2000, AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE, HAD A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND WAS DITCHED IN THE ST. LUCIE RIVER AT STUART, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT FROM LAKELAND, FLORIDA, TO STUART. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAKELAND, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1815. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ON A LEFT BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 7 AT STUART. HIS ALTITUDE WAS BETWEEN 700 AND 800 FEET. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. BECAUSE OF HIS LOW ALTITUDE HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO TROUBLESHOOT THE REASON FOR THE POWER LOSS. HE NOTICED ALL ROADS HAD VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND HE ELECTED TO DITCH THE AIRPLANE IN THE ST. LUCIE RIVER. HE ESTABLISHED THE BEST GLIDE SPEED FOR THE AIRPLANE AND AIMED FOR A SPOT CLOSE TO SHORE. WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 20 FEET, AS HE SLOWED FOR THE DITCHING, THE AIRPLANE INADVERTENTLY STALLED. THE LEFT WING AND NOSE DROPPED DOWN AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE WATER NOSE LOW, LEFT WING DOWN. THE LEFT WING AND THE TAIL SECTION SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE UPON IMPACT. HE EXITED THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.