What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The operator was practicing water landings when after taking off at 250 ft. the engine began to run rough. He landed the aircraft on the water and retarded the power and the engine quit. After several failed attempts to restart, he was going to paddle the plane in. He began to see fuel dripping from the cowling and instructed the other person on the plane to do a flood start. The aircraft started and then quit again. The operator the noticed smoke coming from the cowling. He grabbed his extinguisher, opened the cowling but he could not put the fire out. A local fisherman came to tow them back home and the fire burned out. It was contained to the carburetor.
As the FAA filed it
THE OPERATOR WAS PRACTICING WATER LANDINGS WHEN AFTER TAKING OFF AT 250 FT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE WATER AND RETARDED THE POWER AND THE ENGINE QUIT. AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART, HE WAS GOING TO PADDLE THE PLANE IN. HE BEGAN TO SEE FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE COWLING AND INSTRUCTED THE OTHER PERSON ON THE PLANE TO DO A FLOOD START. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED AND THEN QUIT AGAIN. THE OPERATOR THE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE COWLING. HE GRABBED HIS EXTINGUISHER, OPENED THE COWLING BUT HE COULD NOT PUT THE FIRE OUT. A LOCAL FISHERMAN CAME TO TOW THEM BACK HOME AND THE FIRE BURNED OUT. IT WAS CONTAINED TO THE CARBURETOR.
Other reports on N555XP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.