Narrative:

Discovered cracked/broken weld in exhaust 'T' at entrance to waste gate. Took aircraft to local FBO maintenance shop. Problem confirmed. Maintenance shop removed exhaust pipe section and mailed overnight, red label to a weld shop near san diego. Called maintenance shop and chief mechanic said they had the part and would have it in an hour or so. I told them I wanted to fly the aircraft saturday. 3 days later stopped by and all mechanics except 1 were out to lunch and aircraft was gone from maintenance hangar. Drove to my tie-down spot, about 1/2 mi away, and aircraft was tied down. Performed thorough preflight after filing an IFR flight plan to sacramento. Aircraft had been fueled by the same FBO line crew (it's on automatic refuel) sometime either friday afternoon or saturday morning. Run-up was normal and took off on 15R. At approximately 100' AGL, noticed hot smell and egt gauge pegged at the high end. Climb rate somewhat less than normal. Told tower I had a problem and would return. They cleared me for a right downwind for 15R. During the right crosswind turn noticed smoke form engine cowling. Declared an emergency and was cleared for any runway. Continued on right base for 07 and made normal landing. Taxied to FBO and removed cowling. Exhaust 'T' had not been installed and rags had been stuffed in several places. Left lower engine cowling scorched and cracked. FBO claimed I shouldn't have flown it because several screws were missing from front lower cowl piece. 1) aircraft should not be returned to normal tie-down (and refueled) west/O red tagged as unairworthy. 2) pilot should not assume maintenance done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS SMOKE FROM COWLING AFTER LIFTOFF. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: DISCOVERED CRACKED/BROKEN WELD IN EXHAUST 'T' AT ENTRANCE TO WASTE GATE. TOOK ACFT TO LCL FBO MAINT SHOP. PROB CONFIRMED. MAINT SHOP REMOVED EXHAUST PIPE SECTION AND MAILED OVERNIGHT, RED LABEL TO A WELD SHOP NEAR SAN DIEGO. CALLED MAINT SHOP AND CHIEF MECH SAID THEY HAD THE PART AND WOULD HAVE IT IN AN HR OR SO. I TOLD THEM I WANTED TO FLY THE ACFT SATURDAY. 3 DAYS LATER STOPPED BY AND ALL MECHS EXCEPT 1 WERE OUT TO LUNCH AND ACFT WAS GONE FROM MAINT HANGAR. DROVE TO MY TIE-DOWN SPOT, ABOUT 1/2 MI AWAY, AND ACFT WAS TIED DOWN. PERFORMED THOROUGH PREFLT AFTER FILING AN IFR FLT PLAN TO SACRAMENTO. ACFT HAD BEEN FUELED BY THE SAME FBO LINE CREW (IT'S ON AUTOMATIC REFUEL) SOMETIME EITHER FRIDAY AFTERNOON OR SATURDAY MORNING. RUN-UP WAS NORMAL AND TOOK OFF ON 15R. AT APPROX 100' AGL, NOTICED HOT SMELL AND EGT GAUGE PEGGED AT THE HIGH END. CLB RATE SOMEWHAT LESS THAN NORMAL. TOLD TWR I HAD A PROB AND WOULD RETURN. THEY CLRED ME FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR 15R. DURING THE RIGHT XWIND TURN NOTICED SMOKE FORM ENG COWLING. DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS CLRED FOR ANY RWY. CONTINUED ON RIGHT BASE FOR 07 AND MADE NORMAL LNDG. TAXIED TO FBO AND REMOVED COWLING. EXHAUST 'T' HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED AND RAGS HAD BEEN STUFFED IN SEVERAL PLACES. LEFT LOWER ENG COWLING SCORCHED AND CRACKED. FBO CLAIMED I SHOULDN'T HAVE FLOWN IT BECAUSE SEVERAL SCREWS WERE MISSING FROM FRONT LOWER COWL PIECE. 1) ACFT SHOULD NOT BE RETURNED TO NORMAL TIE-DOWN (AND REFUELED) W/O RED TAGGED AS UNAIRWORTHY. 2) PLT SHOULD NOT ASSUME MAINT DONE.

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.