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GA small aircraft pilot complaint about not receiving priority handling when he reported a rickety engine to tower.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 100143 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198812 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : oxr |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : oxr |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2010 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 100143 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
While en route from lompoc, ca, to lax on a VFR flight plan, the engine started to run very rough and RPM for smooth operation was rapidly deteriorating towards 2000 or less. The trouble started at 5500' MSL, just as I had passed oxnard airport and coming up on camarillo. I had 2 passenger aboard destined for an airline connection at lax. It was a fielder's choice between oxr and camarillo as the site for this forced landing. Oxr won out because of the concerns for my passenger. On initial contact with oxr tower, I was advised to descend north of the airport and report downwind north abeam of tower. I kept the engine at idle and did all maneuvering to keep the aircraft within comfortable and safe gliding distance of the airport. When I reported downwind north, I was told to land as #2 behind traffic on a 2 mi final. I requested to be cleared right away because I had a rickety engine, but was sternly told to extend the downwind leg and that my base leg was to be called!! I feel that, with an engine that may totally fail at any moment, it is not safe for the tower to call the timing of any turn to a pilot that may have a dead stick landing to perform. This procedure was quite annoying to handle under the circumstances and believe it to be the prime reason why I did not remember to close my flight plan.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GA SMA PLT COMPLAINT ABOUT NOT RECEIVING PRIORITY HANDLING WHEN HE REPORTED A RICKETY ENGINE TO TWR.
Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM LOMPOC, CA, TO LAX ON A VFR FLT PLAN, THE ENG STARTED TO RUN VERY ROUGH AND RPM FOR SMOOTH OPERATION WAS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING TOWARDS 2000 OR LESS. THE TROUBLE STARTED AT 5500' MSL, JUST AS I HAD PASSED OXNARD ARPT AND COMING UP ON CAMARILLO. I HAD 2 PAX ABOARD DESTINED FOR AN AIRLINE CONNECTION AT LAX. IT WAS A FIELDER'S CHOICE BTWN OXR AND CAMARILLO AS THE SITE FOR THIS FORCED LNDG. OXR WON OUT BECAUSE OF THE CONCERNS FOR MY PAX. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH OXR TWR, I WAS ADVISED TO DSND N OF THE ARPT AND RPT DOWNWIND N ABEAM OF TWR. I KEPT THE ENG AT IDLE AND DID ALL MANEUVERING TO KEEP THE ACFT WITHIN COMFORTABLE AND SAFE GLIDING DISTANCE OF THE ARPT. WHEN I RPTED DOWNWIND N, I WAS TOLD TO LAND AS #2 BEHIND TFC ON A 2 MI FINAL. I REQUESTED TO BE CLRED RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE I HAD A RICKETY ENG, BUT WAS STERNLY TOLD TO EXTEND THE DOWNWIND LEG AND THAT MY BASE LEG WAS TO BE CALLED!! I FEEL THAT, WITH AN ENG THAT MAY TOTALLY FAIL AT ANY MOMENT, IT IS NOT SAFE FOR THE TWR TO CALL THE TIMING OF ANY TURN TO A PLT THAT MAY HAVE A DEAD STICK LNDG TO PERFORM. THIS PROC WAS QUITE ANNOYING TO HANDLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND BELIEVE IT TO BE THE PRIME REASON WHY I DID NOT REMEMBER TO CLOSE MY FLT PLAN.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.