What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot in command and passenger/pilot statements and interviews revealed that they were flying loop patterns around the Juneau area. After completing a couple of loops/patterns they decided to fly a shorter loop/pattern and on the return leg of the flight at 1500FT flying back to the Juneau airport, the engine stopped running. The PIC stated that he immediately switched fuel tanks and tried to restart the engine. The engine did not fully start and after a couple more attempts it did not restart. The pilots began to look for a place to land. The PIC picked a spot near the shoreline and ditched the plane about 50 to 100 feet from the shoreline. Both pilots got out of plane and swam to the shore suffering minor injuries. Alaska seaplanes pilots flying a beaver spotted the incident, reported it to the tower and landed their float plane to assist in the rescue. The airplane was damaged upon impact and according to photographs the airplane sunk almost totally under water causing further engine and airframe damage. Afterwards the airplane was recovered and brought to a nearby hangar at the Juneau airport for evaluation.
With the information gathered and technical information obtained from the Stinson model 108 series general service manual and in concurrence with other FAA inspectors it is believed that the pilot in command did not make the proper decision to switch the fuel selection from the low fuel level r/h tank to the full l/h fuel tank in adequate enough time to continue engine operations, causing probable fuel starvation which cause the engine to stop running in mid flight. The pilot could not restart the engine in flight which led to an emergency water landing near beach.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT IN COMMAND AND PASSENGER/PILOT STATEMENTS AND INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT THEY WERE FLYING LOOP PATTERNS AROUND THE JUNEAU AREA. AFTER COMPLETING A COUPLE OF LOOPS/PATTERNS THEY DECIDED TO FLY A SHORTER LOOP/PATTERN AND ON THE RETURN LEG OF THE FLIGHT AT 1500FT FLYING BACK TO THE JUNEAU AIRPORT, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THE PIC STATED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE DID NOT FULLY START AND AFTER A COUPLE MORE ATTEMPTS IT DID NOT RESTART. THE PILOTS BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO LAND. THE PIC PICKED A SPOT NEAR THE SHORELINE AND DITCHED THE PLANE ABOUT 50 TO 100 FEET FROM THE SHORELINE. BOTH PILOTS GOT OUT OF PLANE AND SWAM TO THE SHORE SUFFERING MINOR INJURIES. ALASKA SEAPLANES PILOTS FLYING A BEAVER SPOTTED THE INCIDENT, REPORTED IT TO THE TOWER AND LANDED THEIR FLOAT PLANE TO ASSIST IN THE RESCUE. THE AIRPLANE WAS DAMAGED UPON IMPACT AND ACCORDING TO PHOTOGRAPHS THE AIRPLANE SUNK ALMOST TOTALLY UNDER WATER CAUSING FURTHER ENGINE AND AIRFRAME DAMAGE. AFTERWARDS THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED AND BROUGHT TO A NEARBY HANGAR AT THE JUNEAU AIRPORT FOR EVALUATION.
WITH THE INFORMATION GATHERED AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE STINSON MODEL 108 SERIES GENERAL SERVICE MANUAL AND IN CONCURRENCE WITH OTHER FAA INSPECTORS IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PILOT IN COMMAND DID NOT MAKE THE PROPER DECISION TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTION FROM THE LOW FUEL LEVEL R/H TANK TO THE FULL L/H FUEL TANK IN ADEQUATE ENOUGH TIME TO CONTINUE ENGINE OPERATIONS, CAUSING PROBABLE FUEL STARVATION WHICH CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING IN MID FLIGHT. THE PILOT COULD NOT RESTART THE ENGINE IN FLIGHT WHICH LED TO AN EMERGENCY WATER LANDING NEAR BEACH.
Other reports on N97421 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.