What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine run for 15 min prior to departure, including warmup/runup. Thermostat open and radiator warm to the touch. Normal operating temp reached. Departure 17L planned transition to operations on the sealane. Before takeoff checklist completed. Takeoff was normal 6500 RPM. At approximately 40 mph in the initial climb, the gear was retracted for a water landing as pilot was planning to remain in the pattern on the sealane (water runway) after gear retraction, the engine ran very rough lost power /RPM from 6500 to approximately 1800 RPM. At approximately 100 ft. pilot lowered the nose then completed the engine failure memory items. The flight control stick backup electric fuel pump switch was activated immediately as the aircraft was pitched down. There is a clutch on the gearbox, and the propeller was windmilling. The roundout and flare were complicated by a high sink rate. The landing was wings level, pitch slightly nose up, hard, and on the edge of the runway, and the aircraft slid into the grass at the left side of the runway at the hotel taxiway intersection. Just prior to touchdown, the engine power began coming back, then full power after touchdown, at which point the pilot closed the throttle and secured the aircraft per checklist.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE RUN FOR 15 MIN PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, INCLUDING WARMUP/RUNUP. THERMOSTAT OPEN AND RADIATOR WARM TO THE TOUCH. NORMAL OPERATING TEMP REACHED. DEPARTURE 17L PLANNED TRANSITION TO OPERATIONS ON THE SEALANE. BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST COMPLETED. TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL 6500 RPM. AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH IN THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED FOR A WATER LANDING AS PILOT WAS PLANNING TO REMAIN IN THE PATTERN ON THE SEALANE (WATER RUNWAY) AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, THE ENGINE RAN VERY ROUGH LOST POWER /RPM FROM 6500 TO APPROXIMATELY 1800 RPM. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FT. PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE THEN COMPLETED THE ENGINE FAILURE MEMORY ITEMS. THE FLIGHT CONTROL STICK BACKUP ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP SWITCH WAS ACTIVATED IMMEDIATELY AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS PITCHED DOWN. THERE IS A CLUTCH ON THE GEARBOX, AND THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING. THE ROUNDOUT AND FLARE WERE COMPLICATED BY A HIGH SINK RATE. THE LANDING WAS WINGS LEVEL, PITCH SLIGHTLY NOSE UP, HARD, AND ON THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO THE GRASS AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT THE HOTEL TAXIWAY INTERSECTION. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE ENGINE POWER BEGAN COMING BACK, THEN FULL POWER AFTER TOUCHDOWN, AT WHICH POINT THE PILOT CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND SECURED THE AIRCRAFT PER CHECKLIST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.