# Incident 20210417001269I: Grumman TBM-3, Cocoa Beach, FL, April 17, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 17, 2021, 13:21 local time
- Place: Cocoa Beach, FL
- Airport: Patrick Afb
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.3291° N, 80.6275° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Cocoa Beach, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.3291&lon=-80.6275&mi=10
- Aircraft: N108Q, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N108Q) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Grumman TBM-3 (registry code 3950308, https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-tbm-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Wright R-2600-20 (registry code 67123, https://openairdocs.org/engine/wright-r-2600-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GRUMMAN TBM-3
- Reported engine: WRIGHT R-2600-20
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 22,000 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210417001269I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

- [Accident 19750616018639A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19750616018639A), Jun 16, 1975: Gruman TBM3AIRTRD (N108Q), Massena, NY, Substantial damage. During climb out engine failed acft lndd in swamp wheels up.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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