What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 11, 2021 at approximately 1548 local time, the pilot and his wife initiated a flight from Blakely Is.,WA.(38WA) to anacortes, WA. (74S). The aircraft, N2030X, a Cessna 182H, privacy data omitted, (part 91) privacy data omitted.
Aircraft was parked in its tie-down spot where it had been overnight. Pilot indicated that prior to boarding the aircraft, he performed a pre-flight inspection. The fuel was drained from 2 wing sumps which he stated appeared to be blue and clear.
He proceeded to board the aircraft along with his wife and started the engine. The pilot then proceeded to taxi the aircraft to mid-field from the south end of the runway where it was originally parked to visually clear the north end of the field prior to take-off.
The pilot returned to the south end of the runway and position his aircraft to depart at runway 01, at this time he stated that the engine was warm and cylinder was in the green, and performed his pre-takeoff checks and engine run-up.
Pilot indicated that he took-off at runway 01 and approximately 400 feet MSL, he turned 90 degrees to the right and continued to climb with an airspeed of approximately 100 mph. Upon reaching 700 MSL, he heard the engine sputter once and then lost power. He stated that he worked the throttle thinking that the engine had only gone to idle and had not outright quit.
The pilot realized that he is quickly losing airspeed and altitude, and at this point he indicated that he scanned the shoreline for the best possible point for emergency water landing.
The aircraft performed an emergency water landing on the south end of Blakely Is., 2 sob extricated themselves from the sinking aircraft and sustained minor bruises. The aircraft rested at approximately 30 feet from the surface.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 11, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1548 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT AND HIS WIFE INITIATED A FLIGHT FROM BLAKELY IS.,WA.(38WA) TO ANACORTES, WA. (74S). THE AIRCRAFT, N2030X, A CESSNA 182H, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, (PART 91) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED IN ITS TIE-DOWN SPOT WHERE IT HAD BEEN OVERNIGHT. PILOT INDICATED THAT PRIOR TO BOARDING THE AIRCRAFT, HE PERFORMED A PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION. THE FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM 2 WING SUMPS WHICH HE STATED APPEARED TO BE BLUE AND CLEAR.
HE PROCEEDED TO BOARD THE AIRCRAFT ALONG WITH HIS WIFE AND STARTED THE ENGINE. THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT TO MID-FIELD FROM THE SOUTH END OF THE RUNWAY WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY PARKED TO VISUALLY CLEAR THE NORTH END OF THE FIELD PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF.
THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE SOUTH END OF THE RUNWAY AND POSITION HIS AIRCRAFT TO DEPART AT RUNWAY 01, AT THIS TIME HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS WARM AND CYLINDER WAS IN THE GREEN, AND PERFORMED HIS PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS AND ENGINE RUN-UP.
PILOT INDICATED THAT HE TOOK-OFF AT RUNWAY 01 AND APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET MSL, HE TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND CONTINUED TO CLIMB WITH AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 100 MPH. UPON REACHING 700 MSL, HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER ONCE AND THEN LOST POWER. HE STATED THAT HE WORKED THE THROTTLE THINKING THAT THE ENGINE HAD ONLY GONE TO IDLE AND HAD NOT OUTRIGHT QUIT.
THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE IS QUICKLY LOSING AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE, AND AT THIS POINT HE INDICATED THAT HE SCANNED THE SHORELINE FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE POINT FOR EMERGENCY WATER LANDING.
THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY WATER LANDING ON THE SOUTH END OF BLAKELY IS., 2 SOB EXTRICATED THEMSELVES FROM THE SINKING AIRCRAFT AND SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISES. THE AIRCRAFT RESTED AT APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET FROM THE SURFACE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.