PLT OF AA5 SUFFERS CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE NEAR ZZZZ. LANDS ON THE BEACH ZZZ1 NE OF ARPT.

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THE ENG OF GRUMMAN TIGER (AA5B) FAILED DURING FLT. AFTER RUNNING ROUGHLY FOR ABOUT 15 MINS; THE ENG SEIZED. A FORCED LNDG WAS MADE ON THE BEACH APPROX 3 MI NE OF ZZZ. THIS EVENT OCCURRED APPROX 1 HR AND 10 MINS INTO A FLT THAT ORIGINATED AT ZZZ2. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER TURNING FOR THE FINAL LEG OF THE FLT; I NOTICED SHOWERS BTWN MYSELF AND ARPT. I ELECTED TO TURN DUE E; CROSS OVER THE NORTHERN END OF ANOTHER LCL ARPT AND THEN TURN S ALONG THE COAST; FLYING AT 1500 FT MSL. AS I TURNED S; I EXPERIENCED A DROP IN RPM FROM 2500 TO 2000 RPM. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP; ADJUSTED BOTH THROTTLE AND MIXTURE. THESE ACTIONS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE ROUGH RUNNING ENG. AT THAT POINT; I THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLY FOULED PLUGS AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO ISOLATE THE MAGNETOS. THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE ENG. I THEN NOTICED THAT OIL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING AND SOME OIL DROPS ON THE CANOPY. DURING THIS TIME; I WAS ABLE TO INITIATE A SLIGHT CLB AT APPROX 100-200 FPM. MY AIRSPD WAS APPROX 90 KIAS. I CONTACTED ZZZ UNICOM AND ADVISED THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND LOSING OIL PRESSURE; BUT WAS CLBING. I ADVISED MY INTENTIONS WERE TO FLY ALONG THE COAST S AND THEN OVER THE WATERWAY TO LAND ON RWY 13 (THE WIND-FAVORED RWY). AFTER APPROX 10 MINS OF FLT AND AS I WAS APCHING THE N END OF ZZZ; THE ENG STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED A RESTART. THE ENG TURNED OVER FOR 2-3 SECONDS AND THEN STOPPED. I NOTICED A PUFF OF WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT R SIDE OF THE COWLING. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED UNICOM OF THE SIT AND ADVISED I WOULD BE MAKING A BEACH LNDG. I THEN CONFIGURED THE ACFT FOR BEST GLIDE; SHUT THE FUEL OFF; AND OPENED THE CANOPY. I LEFT THE MASTER ON; BUT TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRONICS EXCEPT THE RADIOS TO ADVISE UNICOM OF POS. THE BEACH WAS SPARSELY POPULATED. I DID NOT SEE ANYONE ON THE BEACH EXCEPT FOR 1 BLUE CHAIR AT THE POINT I EXPECTED TO TOUCH DOWN. I ELECTED TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE TOP PORTION OF THE BEACH TO AVOID THE CHAIR AND ANY POTENTIAL INDIVIDUALS. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AND ROLLED TO A STOP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE ROLLOUT WAS APPROX 330 FT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. I EXITED THE ACFT AND WAITED FOR EMER SVCS TO ARRIVE. UPON INITIAL VISUAL INSPECTION; THE #3 CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER; AS IT HAD SEPARATED INTO 2 DISTINCT PARTS. LATER INSPECTION REVEALED A HOLE HAD BEEN PUNCTURED IN THE FRONT L SIDE OF THE ENG BLOCK. UPON INSPECTION OF THE LOGS; THE ACFT WAS WITHIN ITS ANNUAL (DUE JUL 2004). THE ENG; A LYCOMING 0-360; WAS 100 HRS OVER ITS TBO (TIME BTWN OVERHAULS) OF 2100 HRS.