Accident Overview
The pilot reported that the aircraft had just completed a repositioning flight over a salt water bay. After leveling off at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but those efforts were unsuccessful, leading to a decision to ditch the airplane in the salt water bay.
Recovery and Examination
The airplane was recovered from the salt water environment approximately 24 hours after the ditching. Following recovery, the engine underwent two examinations. During the first examination, the engine ran for a period of 5 seconds before losing power. A second attempted test run was unsuccessful, attributed to extensive salt water contamination and corrosion.
Inspection Findings
A visual inspection of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation prior to the power loss. The aircraft had just come out of its most recent annual inspection the day before the accident. Maintenance records indicated that the engine had accumulated 60.20 hours since its most recent overhaul.
Fuel Status
According to the pilot, before takeoff the fuel selector was positioned on the left main tank, and the aircraft had 60 to 65 gallons of fuel on board.