What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported maneuvering at approximately 900 feet and climbing over an uncongested area and returning to airport of departure for landing when fuel pressure was completely lost. Pilot initiated a climbing left turn to manuever the aircraft toward Discovery Bay to avoid the area because of tall trees and other obstacles present. The pilot selected two other fuel tanks and activated the electrically powered fuel pump but fuel pressure was not reestablished before impacting the water. The pilot had attempted a restart with two additional tanks, the other upper wing tank and the main fuselage tank without success. Operation of the mixture, magnetos, and carburetor did not result in any power indication. When landing without power was imminent the pilot aligned the heading of the aircraft parallel to the shore and rolled the aircraft wings level before the aircraft impacted the water in a slightly nose high attitude established for the off airport emergency landing.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED MANEUVERING AT APPROXIMATELY 900 FEET AND CLIMBING OVER AN UNCONGESTED AREA AND RETURNING TO AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE FOR LANDING WHEN FUEL PRESSURE WAS COMPLETELY LOST. PILOT INITIATED A CLIMBING LEFT TURN TO MANUEVER THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD DISCOVERY BAY TO AVOID THE AREA BECAUSE OF TALL TREES AND OTHER OBSTACLES PRESENT. THE PILOT SELECTED TWO OTHER FUEL TANKS AND ACTIVATED THE ELECTRICALLY POWERED FUEL PUMP BUT FUEL PRESSURE WAS NOT REESTABLISHED BEFORE IMPACTING THE WATER. THE PILOT HAD ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITH TWO ADDITIONAL TANKS, THE OTHER UPPER WING TANK AND THE MAIN FUSELAGE TANK WITHOUT SUCCESS. OPERATION OF THE MIXTURE, MAGNETOS, AND CARBURETOR DID NOT RESULT IN ANY POWER INDICATION. WHEN LANDING WITHOUT POWER WAS IMMINENT THE PILOT ALIGNED THE HEADING OF THE AIRCRAFT PARALLEL TO THE SHORE AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT WINGS LEVEL BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE ESTABLISHED FOR THE OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.