What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The acft made a gear up forced ldg in the atlantic ocean adjacent to a Beach at Patrick space force base (kcof) after the PIC declared an emergency to the Cocoa Beach airshow air boss. The sole-occupant PIC was not injured and he egressed the acft and got to shore shortly afterward. No persons on the Beach or in the water were reported injured. Damage to the acft from the water ldg appeared to be minor.
Shortly before the mishap, the acft was beginning to perform race track patterns around the airshow aerobatic box with other warbirds as part of the airshow. The air boss noticed that the acft engine was emitting smoke during the initial overhead pass, and he notified the PIC by radio. The PIC elected to complete the first pattern then proceed back to the acft home base at tix. The engine began to run rough as the pattern was completed, and the PIC elected to head south along the coastline to land at kcof located about 6 miles south of airshow center.
As the acft neared kcof, the PIC declared an emergency. He reptd that his engine began rapidly losing power as turned rt toward the rwy so he turned back to paralleling the coastline for a water ldg. The acft touched down smoothly in light surf approx 50 ft from shore, in an open water area between several bystanders in the water and on the Beach. No injuries to persons on the ground were reported.
The FAA iic of the airshow interviewed the PIC via phone shortly after the mishap while the PIC was still at the scene: the PIC rptd that oil temp and pressure were both in the green and good during the flt, and that the engine only began running rough after departure from the aerobatic box. The engine power continued to deteriorate as the acft headed south towards kcof and the manifold pressure was continuously fluctuating. The PIC turned the acft away from the arpt and landed in the surf when the engine completely lost power.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACFT MADE A GEAR UP FORCED LDG IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ADJACENT TO A BEACH AT PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE (KCOF) AFTER THE PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO THE COCOA BEACH AIRSHOW AIR BOSS. THE SOLE-OCCUPANT PIC WAS NOT INJURED AND HE EGRESSED THE ACFT AND GOT TO SHORE SHORTLY AFTERWARD. NO PERSONS ON THE BEACH OR IN THE WATER WERE REPORTED INJURED. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT FROM THE WATER LDG APPEARED TO BE MINOR.
SHORTLY BEFORE THE MISHAP, THE ACFT WAS BEGINNING TO PERFORM RACE TRACK PATTERNS AROUND THE AIRSHOW AEROBATIC BOX WITH OTHER WARBIRDS AS PART OF THE AIRSHOW. THE AIR BOSS NOTICED THAT THE ACFT ENGINE WAS EMITTING SMOKE DURING THE INITIAL OVERHEAD PASS, AND HE NOTIFIED THE PIC BY RADIO. THE PIC ELECTED TO COMPLETE THE FIRST PATTERN THEN PROCEED BACK TO THE ACFT HOME BASE AT TIX. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AS THE PATTERN WAS COMPLETED, AND THE PIC ELECTED TO HEAD SOUTH ALONG THE COASTLINE TO LAND AT KCOF LOCATED ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTH OF AIRSHOW CENTER.
AS THE ACFT NEARED KCOF, THE PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. HE REPTD THAT HIS ENGINE BEGAN RAPIDLY LOSING POWER AS TURNED RT TOWARD THE RWY SO HE TURNED BACK TO PARALLELING THE COASTLINE FOR A WATER LDG. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN SMOOTHLY IN LIGHT SURF APPROX 50 FT FROM SHORE, IN AN OPEN WATER AREA BETWEEN SEVERAL BYSTANDERS IN THE WATER AND ON THE BEACH. NO INJURIES TO PERSONS ON THE GROUND WERE REPORTED.
THE FAA IIC OF THE AIRSHOW INTERVIEWED THE PIC VIA PHONE SHORTLY AFTER THE MISHAP WHILE THE PIC WAS STILL AT THE SCENE: THE PIC RPTD THAT OIL TEMP AND PRESSURE WERE BOTH IN THE GREEN AND GOOD DURING THE FLT, AND THAT THE ENGINE ONLY BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE AEROBATIC BOX. THE ENGINE POWER CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE AS THE ACFT HEADED SOUTH TOWARDS KCOF AND THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS CONTINUOUSLY FLUCTUATING. THE PIC TURNED THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND LANDED IN THE SURF WHEN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOST POWER.
Other reports on N108Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.