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.

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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.