LAX95LA309

Approximately 4 miles from the departure runway, the left engine stopped on the two-engine, amateur-built aircraft. The pilot altered course toward his destination, but found he was unable to maintain altitude on the remaining engine and elected to attempt an off-airport landing on a nearby island. The pilot was unable to reach the landing site and landed the landplane in the water approximately 50 feet offshore. Inspection of the failed engine revealed that the single ignition system was inoperative due to a chaffed primary wire which had short circuited to the engine mount. The secondary ignition wire was also in a deteriorated condition. The aircraft had received an annual inspection and had been approved for return to service 1 week prior to the accident and had accumulated 2.4 hours since inspection.

On August 28, 1995, at 1750 hours Pacific daylight time, a Josephson MC-15 Cricket, N128HJ, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on water at San Diego, California, following a loss of engine power in cruise flight. The single seat, amateur built landplane, powered by two 15-horsepower, two-stroke engines, was piloted by a private pilot on the personal, 14 CFR Part 91 flight. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No injuries were sustained by the pilot. The flight departed from Miramar Naval Air Station, San Diego, California, at 1738.

The pilot reported that approximately 4 miles from the departure runway, the left engine stopped running and he turned the aircraft to a southeasterly heading toward his destination at Montgomery Field, San Diego. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude on the remaining engine and, upon determining that he would be unable to reach his destination, altered course toward the Mission Bay aquatic recreation area with the intention of landing on Fiesta Island. The pilot stated that after altering course toward Mission Bay, increased headwinds prevented him from reaching Fiesta Island and he ditched the aircraft in the bay, approximately 50 feet from shore.

The aircraft was examined following recovery from the bay by an FAA airworthiness inspector from the San Diego Flight Standards District Office. He reported that inspection of the left-hand engine revealed that the sole (single) ignition system was inoperative. Further investigation found that the primary ignition wire was worn (chaffed) through and was shorted against the engine mount structure. The secondary ignition (spark plug) wires were also determined to be in an unserviceable condition. An annual inspection had been completed and the aircraft approved for return to service 1 week prior to the accident, and the aircraft had accumulated 2.4 hours since inspection.