What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 23, 2011, at 0930 EDT, a Cessna 182, N5191D, registered to privacy data omitted, lost engine power on approach to Fernandina Beach, Florida, after a local flight in support of sport parachuting operations. The aircraft made an emergency landing in the intercoastal waterway west of Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (fhb). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft came to rest inverted in 20 feet of saltwater and sustained minor damage. The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight originated at Fernandina Beach, Florida on September 23, 2011 at 0915 hours. Pilot stated that he normally climbs to jump altitude at 70 knots with 2400 RPM and 24 inches of manifold pressure and the flight duration is usually 26 – 30 minutes using approximately 6.5 gallons of fuel. He reported that prior to the incident flight he verified 12 gallons in the right tank and 14 gallons in the left. The aircraft carried four parachute jumpers to 12,000 feet where they exited the aircraft. The pilot reported that he closed the jump door, verified his fuel selector was in the 'both' position, and then executed a left-wing low spiralling descent to an intended landing at fhb. He extended his base leg to allow traffic at fhb to depart. While turning final he performed his gump check and made sure the mixture was full rich and fuel was set. He stated that he always uses carburetor heat on a descent. When he advanced the prop control to full in, the engine began losing power. He estimated his altitude as 500 feet and determined that he did not have enough glide range to make the runway. He decided to turn back to the intercoastal waterway. The aircraft landed upright and then nosed over and sank, coming to rest inverted. The pilot exited the aircraft after opening the jump door and swam to shore. He stated that the water current was very strong. The aircraft wing leading edge and lower engine cowl sustained impact damage. The fuel gascolator glass bowl was fractued at impact and had a 1.5 inch hole in its forward side. Inspection of the aircraft immediately after retrieval from the water revealed the carburetor heat control to be full in and the fuel selector set to the 'left' position. 1.0 gallon of fuel and 1.5 gallon of water were drained from the right tank by the salvage crew. No fuel was drained from the left tank, only a quart of water. The carburetor bowl and fuel gascolator held no fuel, only water. The temperature and dew point at the time of the incident were favorable for slight carburetor icing in glide and cruise power.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2011, AT 0930 EDT, A CESSNA 182, N5191D, REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LOST ENGINE POWER ON APPROACH TO FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA, AFTER A LOCAL FLIGHT IN SUPPORT OF SPORT PARACHUTING OPERATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY WEST OF FERNANDINA BEACH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FHB). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED IN 20 FEET OF SALTWATER AND SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 AT 0915 HOURS. PILOT STATED THAT HE NORMALLY CLIMBS TO JUMP ALTITUDE AT 70 KNOTS WITH 2400 RPM AND 24 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND THE FLIGHT DURATION IS USUALLY 26 – 30 MINUTES USING APPROXIMATELY 6.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. HE REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLIGHT HE VERIFIED 12 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT TANK AND 14 GALLONS IN THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT CARRIED FOUR PARACHUTE JUMPERS TO 12,000 FEET WHERE THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE CLOSED THE JUMP DOOR, VERIFIED HIS FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE 'BOTH' POSITION, AND THEN EXECUTED A LEFT-WING LOW SPIRALLING DESCENT TO AN INTENDED LANDING AT FHB. HE EXTENDED HIS BASE LEG TO ALLOW TRAFFIC AT FHB TO DEPART. WHILE TURNING FINAL HE PERFORMED HIS GUMP CHECK AND MADE SURE THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH AND FUEL WAS SET. HE STATED THAT HE ALWAYS USES CARBURETOR HEAT ON A DESCENT. WHEN HE ADVANCED THE PROP CONTROL TO FULL IN, THE ENGINE BEGAN LOSING POWER. HE ESTIMATED HIS ALTITUDE AS 500 FEET AND DETERMINED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH GLIDE RANGE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. HE DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UPRIGHT AND THEN NOSED OVER AND SANK, COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER OPENING THE JUMP DOOR AND SWAM TO SHORE. HE STATED THAT THE WATER CURRENT WAS VERY STRONG. THE AIRCRAFT WING LEADING EDGE AND LOWER ENGINE COWL SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE. THE FUEL GASCOLATOR GLASS BOWL WAS FRACTUED AT IMPACT AND HAD A 1.5 INCH HOLE IN ITS FORWARD SIDE. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER RETRIEVAL FROM THE WATER REVEALED THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL TO BE FULL IN AND THE FUEL SELECTOR SET TO THE 'LEFT' POSITION. 1.0 GALLON OF FUEL AND 1.5 GALLON OF WATER WERE DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT TANK BY THE SALVAGE CREW. NO FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE LEFT TANK, ONLY A QUART OF WATER. THE CARBURETOR BOWL AND FUEL GASCOLATOR HELD NO FUEL, ONLY WATER. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WERE FAVORABLE FOR SLIGHT CARBURETOR ICING IN GLIDE AND CRUISE POWER.