Narrative:

It was a routine cargo run from dallas, tx to jackson, ms. I departed monroe VFR at XA00. ATC asked if I wanted to cancel the canned IFR flight plan. I said, 'it's not running too good, better have some altitude. I'll take the clearance.' 20 mi later ATC said, 'contact ZME.' I said, 'ok. Do me a favor; call my office and tell them I've lost the left engine.' mistake made here--engine had not quit, but ran rough at cruise power, so I pulled it back to about 50%. Should have said rough-running engine not lost. Later in flight, I decided as a precaution to prevent engine damage to shut down the engine. WX was good and load was light. Made a routine landing at jackson hawkins field. Problem: must be very specific when making radio xmissions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that he filed the report because, upon arriving at his destination, FAA investigators, there to investigate an accident that had occurred on the previous day, saw him land with only 1 engine running. Reporter said that he had to have a tug pull him to parking because the aircraft is difficult to taxi with only 1 engine. Investigators claimed that pilot should have landed at vicksburg, which is the closest airport to the location where the engine was shut down. Pilot says that vicksburg is unsuitable due to trees and high power lines, which would have compromised an engine-out approach. He was only 20 mins from his destination and that's why he decided to continue. Subsequent inspection of the engine discovered that the casing was cracked. Reporter contends that there was never an emergency and that he had every confidence in the aircraft's ability to make the destination airport on only 1 engine. He was concerned about damage to the engine had he left it on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ATX CARGO ACFT SHUTS DOWN ENGINE DURING FLT FROM MLU TO JACKSON, MS, DUE TO ROUGH RUNNING. FAA ACCUSES PLT OF FAILING TO ABIDE BY FEDERAL AVIATION REG 135 PT 69.

Narrative: IT WAS A ROUTINE CARGO RUN FROM DALLAS, TX TO JACKSON, MS. I DEPARTED MONROE VFR AT XA00. ATC ASKED IF I WANTED TO CANCEL THE CANNED IFR FLT PLAN. I SAID, 'IT'S NOT RUNNING TOO GOOD, BETTER HAVE SOME ALT. I'LL TAKE THE CLRNC.' 20 MI LATER ATC SAID, 'CONTACT ZME.' I SAID, 'OK. DO ME A FAVOR; CALL MY OFFICE AND TELL THEM I'VE LOST THE LEFT ENG.' MISTAKE MADE HERE--ENG HAD NOT QUIT, BUT RAN ROUGH AT CRUISE PWR, SO I PULLED IT BACK TO ABOUT 50%. SHOULD HAVE SAID ROUGH-RUNNING ENG NOT LOST. LATER IN FLT, I DECIDED AS A PRECAUTION TO PREVENT ENG DAMAGE TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG. WX WAS GOOD AND LOAD WAS LIGHT. MADE A ROUTINE LNDG AT JACKSON HAWKINS FIELD. PROB: MUST BE VERY SPECIFIC WHEN MAKING RADIO XMISSIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THAT HE FILED THE RPT BECAUSE, UPON ARRIVING AT HIS DEST, FAA INVESTIGATORS, THERE TO INVESTIGATE AN ACCIDENT THAT HAD OCCURRED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY, SAW HIM LAND WITH ONLY 1 ENG RUNNING. RPTR SAID THAT HE HAD TO HAVE A TUG PULL HIM TO PARKING BECAUSE THE ACFT IS DIFFICULT TO TAXI WITH ONLY 1 ENG. INVESTIGATORS CLAIMED THAT PLT SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT VICKSBURG, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST ARPT TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. PLT SAYS THAT VICKSBURG IS UNSUITABLE DUE TO TREES AND HIGH PWR LINES, WHICH WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED AN ENG-OUT APCH. HE WAS ONLY 20 MINS FROM HIS DEST AND THAT'S WHY HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE ENG DISCOVERED THAT THE CASING WAS CRACKED. RPTR CONTENDS THAT THERE WAS NEVER AN EMER AND THAT HE HAD EVERY CONFIDENCE IN THE ACFT'S ABILITY TO MAKE THE DEST ARPT ON ONLY 1 ENG. HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT DAMAGE TO THE ENG HAD HE LEFT IT ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.