GA small aircraft lost power during climb because of a collapsed air intake boot. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	103138
Time
Date	198901
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fat
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1290 msl bound upper : 1290
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : fat tower : new
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 398 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	103138
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At 1290' experienced partial power loss from 26' manifold pressure down to 20' manifold pressure, declared an emergency, returned to the field for landing. We were cleared from approach control. Asked approach for 118.2 (tower frequency). Was approved for landing. Landed with no incident. The air intake boot had collapsed by half of its inside diameter, causing engine to starve for air. This did not show up in runup.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST POWER DURING CLIMB BECAUSE OF A COLLAPSED AIR INTAKE BOOT. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: AT 1290' EXPERIENCED PARTIAL POWER LOSS FROM 26' MANIFOLD PRESSURE DOWN TO 20' MANIFOLD PRESSURE, DECLARED AN EMER, RETURNED TO THE FIELD FOR LNDG. WE WERE CLRED FROM APCH CTL. ASKED APCH FOR 118.2 (TWR FREQ). WAS APPROVED FOR LNDG. LANDED WITH NO INCIDENT. THE AIR INTAKE BOOT HAD COLLAPSED BY HALF OF ITS INSIDE DIAMETER, CAUSING ENGINE TO STARVE FOR AIR. THIS DID NOT SHOW UP IN RUNUP.

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.