CARGO AIR TAXI HAS ENG QUIT WHEN 7 MI FROM ARPT. EMER LNDG.

Narrative

I TOOK OFF FROM PLT STATION WITH 59 POUNDS OF MAIL AND ABOUT 46 GALLONS OF FUEL. I WAS BURNING OFF THE L TANK. I MADE A R TURN OUT TO THE W AFTER DEPARTING RWY 7. AFTER DEPARTING THE TFC PATTERN; I CALLED IN MY ETA AT ST. MARY'S OF 10 MINS ON COMPANY FREQ. I THEN SWITCHED TO ST. MARY'S CTAF AND CALLED IN MY POS WHEN I WAS 10 MI OUT. I WAS AT 300 AGL. A SHORT TIME LATER THE ENG SPUTTERED; VIBRATED A LITTLE AND THEN QUIT. I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND; FOUND A CLRING WITH A SMALL POND IN IT TO MY R AND TURNED TOWARD IT. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG BY SWITCHING TANKS TO THE R TANK; ADVANCING MIXTURE; PROP AND THROTTLE CTLS TO THE FULL FORWARD POS; ACTIVATING THE EMER AND AUX FUEL PUMPS AND CHKING THE MAGS. THE ENG DIDN'T RESTART. I THEN PUT 10 DEG OF FLAPS DOWN; LET THE AIRPLANE STABILIZE THEN PUT THE REST OF THE FLAPS DOWN. I INTENDED TO LAND IN THE SHALLOW WATER ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE POND AND LET MY MOMENTUM CARRY ME TO SHORE. AS I STARTED MY FLARE; THE ENG SPUTTERED A LITTLE. AS THE L MAIN GEAR STRUCK THE WATER; THE ENG CAME TO LIFE AND APPEARED TO BE GENERATING FULL PWR. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE L SHARPLY AS IT SANK DEEPER INTO THE WATER. AT THAT POINT; I'M NOT SURE IF THE ENG STOPPED OR IF I PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK. I ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY THROUGH THE L WINDOW. THE AIRPLANE SETTLED IN ABOUT 4 1/2 FT OF WATER. I SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AND THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE UNDAMAGED. THE PWR LOSS APPEARS TO BE FROM FUEL CONTAMINATION. IF I WAS AT A HIGHER ALT; THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.