What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot conducted a round-trip flight from everett, WA (kpae) to Friday harbor, WA (kfhr) with two passengers. Prior to departure, the aircraft was serviced by the owner with 100LL in one tank and motor fuel in the other. The pilot used a dipstick to measure fuel and estimated 20–22 gallons onboard, which matched the edm 900 engine monitor indications. Based on a fuel burn rate of 7.5 gph, the pilot determined the fuel quantity exceeded FAA reserve requirements.
The outbound flight to kfhr was uneventful, with a recorded hobbs time of 0.7 hours. On the ground at kfhr, the pilot confirmed 13 gallons remaining and estimated 7 gallons upon arrival back at kpae. The return departure was normal, and the pilot proceeded southbound, requesting a VFR practice approach into kpae.
After intercepting the localizer, the edm 900 displayed a low fuel warning. The pilot confirmed the fuel pump was on and the selector was set to both. After intercepting the glideslope and reducing power, the engine coughed once. One tank indicated approximately 6 gallons remaining. At approximately 1714 PDT, radar data shows the engine lost power.
The pilot established best glideslope, notified the tower, switched tanks, verified the auxiliary pump was on, and completed engine failure memory items. Restart attempts were unsuccessful, and the pilot determined the aircraft could not reach the runway. The pilot informed the tower of the intention to ditch and maneuvered toward the shoreline.
At approximately 1,000 feet AGL, both cabin doors were opened per preflight briefing. The pilot executed a controlled ditching along the shoreline. The aircraft’s nose into the water but did not flip. All occupants exited safely; the pilot’s door could not be opened due to water pressure, but the right seat passenger’s door was used for egress. The pilot assisted the rear passenger out of the aircraft.
The aircraft sustained water damage, and the aircraft maintenance logs were onboard, they were destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT CONDUCTED A ROUND-TRIP FLIGHT FROM EVERETT, WA (KPAE) TO FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (KFHR) WITH TWO PASSENGERS. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SERVICED BY THE OWNER WITH 100LL IN ONE TANK AND MOTOR FUEL IN THE OTHER. THE PILOT USED A DIPSTICK TO MEASURE FUEL AND ESTIMATED 20–22 GALLONS ONBOARD, WHICH MATCHED THE EDM 900 ENGINE MONITOR INDICATIONS. BASED ON A FUEL BURN RATE OF 7.5 GPH, THE PILOT DETERMINED THE FUEL QUANTITY EXCEEDED FAA RESERVE REQUIREMENTS.
THE OUTBOUND FLIGHT TO KFHR WAS UNEVENTFUL, WITH A RECORDED HOBBS TIME OF 0.7 HOURS. ON THE GROUND AT KFHR, THE PILOT CONFIRMED 13 GALLONS REMAINING AND ESTIMATED 7 GALLONS UPON ARRIVAL BACK AT KPAE. THE RETURN DEPARTURE WAS NORMAL, AND THE PILOT PROCEEDED SOUTHBOUND, REQUESTING A VFR PRACTICE APPROACH INTO KPAE.
AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER, THE EDM 900 DISPLAYED A LOW FUEL WARNING. THE PILOT CONFIRMED THE FUEL PUMP WAS ON AND THE SELECTOR WAS SET TO BOTH. AFTER INTERCEPTING THE GLIDESLOPE AND REDUCING POWER, THE ENGINE COUGHED ONCE. ONE TANK INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 6 GALLONS REMAINING. AT APPROXIMATELY 1714 PDT, RADAR DATA SHOWS THE ENGINE LOST POWER.
THE PILOT ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDESLOPE, NOTIFIED THE TOWER, SWITCHED TANKS, VERIFIED THE AUXILIARY PUMP WAS ON, AND COMPLETED ENGINE FAILURE MEMORY ITEMS. RESTART ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE PILOT DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT REACH THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT INFORMED THE TOWER OF THE INTENTION TO DITCH AND MANEUVERED TOWARD THE SHORELINE.
AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET AGL, BOTH CABIN DOORS WERE OPENED PER PREFLIGHT BRIEFING. THE PILOT EXECUTED A CONTROLLED DITCHING ALONG THE SHORELINE. THE AIRCRAFT’S NOSE INTO THE WATER BUT DID NOT FLIP. ALL OCCUPANTS EXITED SAFELY; THE PILOT’S DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED DUE TO WATER PRESSURE, BUT THE RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER’S DOOR WAS USED FOR EGRESS. THE PILOT ASSISTED THE REAR PASSENGER OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED WATER DAMAGE, AND THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGS WERE ONBOARD, THEY WERE DESTROYED.