Narrative:

Received clearance to be at 5000' at a point 20 mi southwest of cmx. We had dropped off passengers at cmx, refueled and took off. We performed an engine run-up before takeoff and had previously checked our fuel for contamination, water. Everything appeared normal. No dirt, water and the run-up was normal. The aircraft developed takeoff power and takeoff and initial climb out were normal approximately 3-5 min after takeoff the aircraft showed a dramatic decrease in fuel flow. Normal climb flow at 35' should have been 15/16 gal/hour. This dropped to 8. Then the manifold pressure dropped. Normal climb is 36'. We had to keep 40' just to maintain level flight. If I tried to pull the throttles back to 32' (normal cruise) the plane would descend and not stay level. The mixture was full rich and propellers set at 2400 RPM. We were climbing only 50-100'/min and were not going to be able to be at 5000' at the assigned point. I realized this only after trying to find out what was going wrong and checking through all the systems. It was difficult at first to stay level, but the engines continued to run, just at greatly reduced power. ATC asked if I wanted to declare an emergency. I said no because the plane was still running. I felt we would have no trouble making the next airport, marquette. ATC became very angry, asked that I call on the ground. The gentleman said that I had not complied with a specific clearance. He was also annoyed that I had not talked to him first. He said there was a bmb somewhere below me that he could not see on radar and he could not talk to him. I asked if it would have made a difference if I had declared an emergency. He answered 'no'. I landed marquette west/O incident and found a mechanic at an FBO who went through both engines. He determined that the problem was 'bad gas', water in it. When I told him that I had tested all 3 drains on each wing and the sump under the belly and they all came out fine, he said that it never would have shown water because after fueling, if there is water in the fuel, it does not become apparent for 1/2 hour or more (it needs time to settle) and that was why run-up and initial takeoff and climb out were normal. We drained alot of gas out and left enough for the trip home. I had always been taught to 'fly the plane first', talk second. That is what I did. First observing the problem, then going through the systems one by one to see if there was anything I had forgotten or inadvertently done wrong. Everything was where it was supposed to be. It was not my fault (thank goodness). ATC is angry that I couldn't be at 5000', 20 mi southwest of cmx. He said I should have talked to him first, then flown the plane. I felt it was more important to stabilize the plane first, then talk. He said I didn't understand how 'serious' not complying was. I told him that I did understand, but the plane just wouldn't do it and I felt I had to get it straight and level and stable first. And since he had already told me that he had no way of communicating with the plane below, I don't see as how he was able to 'protect' any airspace as he said he was doing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC ALT DUE TO INSUFFICIENT POWER DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION PROBLEM.

Narrative: RECEIVED CLRNC TO BE AT 5000' AT A POINT 20 MI SW OF CMX. WE HAD DROPPED OFF PAXS AT CMX, REFUELED AND TOOK OFF. WE PERFORMED AN ENG RUN-UP BEFORE TKOF AND HAD PREVIOUSLY CHKED OUR FUEL FOR CONTAMINATION, WATER. EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. NO DIRT, WATER AND THE RUN-UP WAS NORMAL. THE ACFT DEVELOPED TKOF PWR AND TKOF AND INITIAL CLB OUT WERE NORMAL APPROX 3-5 MIN AFTER TKOF THE ACFT SHOWED A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN FUEL FLOW. NORMAL CLB FLOW AT 35' SHOULD HAVE BEEN 15/16 GAL/HR. THIS DROPPED TO 8. THEN THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROPPED. NORMAL CLB IS 36'. WE HAD TO KEEP 40' JUST TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. IF I TRIED TO PULL THE THROTTLES BACK TO 32' (NORMAL CRUISE) THE PLANE WOULD DSND AND NOT STAY LEVEL. THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH AND PROPS SET AT 2400 RPM. WE WERE CLBING ONLY 50-100'/MIN AND WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE AT 5000' AT THE ASSIGNED POINT. I REALIZED THIS ONLY AFTER TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING WRONG AND CHKING THROUGH ALL THE SYSTEMS. IT WAS DIFFICULT AT FIRST TO STAY LEVEL, BUT THE ENGS CONTINUED TO RUN, JUST AT GREATLY REDUCED PWR. ATC ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I SAID NO BECAUSE THE PLANE WAS STILL RUNNING. I FELT WE WOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE MAKING THE NEXT ARPT, MARQUETTE. ATC BECAME VERY ANGRY, ASKED THAT I CALL ON THE GND. THE GENTLEMAN SAID THAT I HAD NOT COMPLIED WITH A SPECIFIC CLRNC. HE WAS ALSO ANNOYED THAT I HAD NOT TALKED TO HIM FIRST. HE SAID THERE WAS A BMB SOMEWHERE BELOW ME THAT HE COULD NOT SEE ON RADAR AND HE COULD NOT TALK TO HIM. I ASKED IF IT WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IF I HAD DECLARED AN EMER. HE ANSWERED 'NO'. I LANDED MARQUETTE W/O INCIDENT AND FOUND A MECH AT AN FBO WHO WENT THROUGH BOTH ENGS. HE DETERMINED THAT THE PROB WAS 'BAD GAS', WATER IN IT. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD TESTED ALL 3 DRAINS ON EACH WING AND THE SUMP UNDER THE BELLY AND THEY ALL CAME OUT FINE, HE SAID THAT IT NEVER WOULD HAVE SHOWN WATER BECAUSE AFTER FUELING, IF THERE IS WATER IN THE FUEL, IT DOES NOT BECOME APPARENT FOR 1/2 HR OR MORE (IT NEEDS TIME TO SETTLE) AND THAT WAS WHY RUN-UP AND INITIAL TKOF AND CLB OUT WERE NORMAL. WE DRAINED ALOT OF GAS OUT AND LEFT ENOUGH FOR THE TRIP HOME. I HAD ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT TO 'FLY THE PLANE FIRST', TALK SECOND. THAT IS WHAT I DID. FIRST OBSERVING THE PROB, THEN GOING THROUGH THE SYSTEMS ONE BY ONE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I HAD FORGOTTEN OR INADVERTENTLY DONE WRONG. EVERYTHING WAS WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. IT WAS NOT MY FAULT (THANK GOODNESS). ATC IS ANGRY THAT I COULDN'T BE AT 5000', 20 MI SW OF CMX. HE SAID I SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO HIM FIRST, THEN FLOWN THE PLANE. I FELT IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO STABILIZE THE PLANE FIRST, THEN TALK. HE SAID I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW 'SERIOUS' NOT COMPLYING WAS. I TOLD HIM THAT I DID UNDERSTAND, BUT THE PLANE JUST WOULDN'T DO IT AND I FELT I HAD TO GET IT STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AND STABLE FIRST. AND SINCE HE HAD ALREADY TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NO WAY OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE PLANE BELOW, I DON'T SEE AS HOW HE WAS ABLE TO 'PROTECT' ANY AIRSPACE AS HE SAID HE WAS DOING.

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.