What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was approaching Shelter Cove, CA. Airport…
Somewhere between the aircraft being abeam the numbers and the base turn, the engine began running rough and power was diminished. Approximately 800-feet mean sea level (MSL) and descending. Due to the limited time, speed and altitude available, pilot set best glide and immediately began running basic emergency procedure flows from memory. Pilot verified that my mixture control was full rich and then set throttle to full power. Switched fuel tanks. Turned on the aircraft’s auxiliary fuel pump, and the engine sounded a little better, but power remained low.
Pilot tried to return the throttle and mixture controls back to the their last known good condition, nothing changed. Pilot realized not going to make the runway and retracted landing gear and prepared to ditch.
Immediately upon impact with the water, the cabin began filling with water. Pilot opened the main cabin door. Pilot and passenger quickly exited onto the right wing. Pilot did a quick assessment of passenger to determine the level and severity of injuries. There were no obvious injuries noted at this time. Pilot advised passenger that the plane was going to sink and they had to start swimming towards shore and the aircraft sank shortly after.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING SHELTER COVE, CA. AIRPORT…
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT BEING ABEAM THE NUMBERS AND THE BASE TURN, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND POWER WAS DIMINISHED. APPROXIMATELY 800-FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) AND DESCENDING. DUE TO THE LIMITED TIME, SPEED AND ALTITUDE AVAILABLE, PILOT SET BEST GLIDE AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN RUNNING BASIC EMERGENCY PROCEDURE FLOWS FROM MEMORY. PILOT VERIFIED THAT MY MIXTURE CONTROL WAS FULL RICH AND THEN SET THROTTLE TO FULL POWER. SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. TURNED ON THE AIRCRAFT’S AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP, AND THE ENGINE SOUNDED A LITTLE BETTER, BUT POWER REMAINED LOW.
PILOT TRIED TO RETURN THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS BACK TO THE THEIR LAST KNOWN GOOD CONDITION, NOTHING CHANGED. PILOT REALIZED NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AND RETRACTED LANDING GEAR AND PREPARED TO DITCH.
IMMEDIATELY UPON IMPACT WITH THE WATER, THE CABIN BEGAN FILLING WITH WATER. PILOT OPENED THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. PILOT AND PASSENGER QUICKLY EXITED ONTO THE RIGHT WING. PILOT DID A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF PASSENGER TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL AND SEVERITY OF INJURIES. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS INJURIES NOTED AT THIS TIME. PILOT ADVISED PASSENGER THAT THE PLANE WAS GOING TO SINK AND THEY HAD TO START SWIMMING TOWARDS SHORE AND THE AIRCRAFT SANK SHORTLY AFTER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.