PVT PLT IN AN M20J SUFFERS ENG PROB. BAY APCH SUGGESTS PAO AS ONE EMER ARPT. RPTR UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH TWR; PERFORMS AN EMER OFF ARPT LNDG. WONDERS WHY RWY WAS NOT CLR OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.

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AT THE END OF USUAL WEEKEND PLEASURE FLT BTWN MONTEREY AND GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE; I FLEW OVER FROM HALFMOON BAY TO BTWN SAN CARLOS AND PALO ALTO; MADE CONTACT WITH BAY APCH 135.65; RPTED ENG TROUBLE BTWN HWY 280 AND HWY 101; BAY APCH GAVE ME A CHOICE EITHER SAN CARLOS OR PALO ALTO; I CHOSE PALO ALTO BECAUSE IT WAS IN SIGHT; BAY APCH ADVISED ME TO USE RWY 12 AND GAVE ME TWR FREQ. TWR WAS TOO BUSY FOR ME TO TALK TO FOR 2 MINS; I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO READ 12 ON THE RWY. THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE TAKING OFF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION; ONE OTHER AIRPLANE ON THE TXWY; IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO LAND ANYWHERE; I STILL HAD ALT NEARLY; 1300 FT. I MADE A 360 DEGS TO THE R; BY THE TIME RWY WAS LINED UP RWY WAS CLR BUT I WAS TOO LOW TO GET TO THE RWY; I LANDED RIGHT SIDE UP WITH LNDG GEAR DOWN ON THE MARSH N SIDE OF A LITTLE CREEK; THERE IS 60 FT TRACK OF 3 LNDG GEARS ON THE MUD. BAY APCH 135.65 HAD 2-2 1/2 MINS; BEFORE I GOT TO PAO AND FOUND OUT THE RWY WAS NOT CLRED FOR MY TROUBLED AIRPLANE TO LAND; TO COMMUNICATE WITH PAO TWR. WHY WAS PAO RWY 12 NOT CLRED?