What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After an uneventful flight the pilot was returning to Long Beach airport California. Flying at 4500' he was cleared to start the descent. The pilot reduced power to about 2300 RPM and started a slow descent.
At about 2200' he was handed off to Long Beach tower and told to make straight in for 26R. About 4 minutes later and 4-5 miles out, just as he was cleared to land on 26R, the plane experienced a nearly total loss of power.
Without any obvious warning engine RPM fell from about 2100-2200 RPM to 1000 RPM. The pilot said, power loss was quick without any unusual engine sounds. The pilot said the engine carb heat was already pulled and boost pump was on, mixture setting was full rich.
He said he was unable to get the engine to produce enough power to sustain altitude and decided to performed an emergency landing on the dry concrete river bed of coyote creek, an arm of
San gabriel river system, in the southwest direction stopping about 500 feet north of e wardlow road bridge, city of Long Beach.
There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger and the aircraft did not sustain any damage.
Engine was successfully restarted on the ground about an hour and a half after the emergency landing. Once the aircraft was moved to the airport, aircraft was started again and taxied on its own power to the tie down area.
Preliminary examination of the engine did not reveal any problems. There was about an hour and a half reserve of fuel at the time of the incident.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLIGHT THE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO LONG BEACH AIRPORT CALIFORNIA. FLYING AT 4500' HE WAS CLEARED TO START THE DESCENT. THE PILOT REDUCED POWER TO ABOUT 2300 RPM AND STARTED A SLOW DESCENT.
AT ABOUT 2200' HE WAS HANDED OFF TO LONG BEACH TOWER AND TOLD TO MAKE STRAIGHT IN FOR 26R. ABOUT 4 MINUTES LATER AND 4-5 MILES OUT, JUST AS HE WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON 26R, THE PLANE EXPERIENCED A NEARLY TOTAL LOSS OF POWER.
WITHOUT ANY OBVIOUS WARNING ENGINE RPM FELL FROM ABOUT 2100-2200 RPM TO 1000 RPM. THE PILOT SAID, POWER LOSS WAS QUICK WITHOUT ANY UNUSUAL ENGINE SOUNDS. THE PILOT SAID THE ENGINE CARB HEAT WAS ALREADY PULLED AND BOOST PUMP WAS ON, MIXTURE SETTING WAS FULL RICH.
HE SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE ENGINE TO PRODUCE ENOUGH POWER TO SUSTAIN ALTITUDE AND DECIDED TO PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE DRY CONCRETE RIVER BED OF COYOTE CREEK, AN ARM OF
SAN GABRIEL RIVER SYSTEM, IN THE SOUTHWEST DIRECTION STOPPING ABOUT 500 FEET NORTH OF E WARDLOW ROAD BRIDGE, CITY OF LONG BEACH.
THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR THE PASSENGER AND THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY DAMAGE.
ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTED ON THE GROUND ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AFTER THE EMERGENCY LANDING. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO THE AIRPORT, AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED AGAIN AND TAXIED ON ITS OWN POWER TO THE TIE DOWN AREA.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PROBLEMS. THERE WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF RESERVE OF FUEL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
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