Narrative:

VFR flight filed with little rock FSS and flown 4/91. Flight route was little rock VOR, direct rich mountain VOR, direct mcalester VOR, direct hobart VOR, direct hollis municipal airport ok. Briefer mentioned headwinds as well as forecasted turbulence. After leveling off I noted very strong headwind, 40-50 KTS. I proceed westbound toward hobart. I noted heavier than normal fuel burn due headwind, as well as low altitude maneuvering done earlier to escape turbulence. I developed an alternate plan from original flight plan to proceed more wsw, intersecting highway if necessary for geographic reference between lawton and altus, then proceeding direct into hollis. If a more critical fuel state existed as I approached that area, I'd land at altus and refuel. Even gave consideration, because of severe crosswind, to landing at altus AFB because of wider runway, if it were necessary and fuel state critical. Otherwise, would land at altus municipal airport. Nnw of lawton, I began descent to cut down on headwind problem, even though it meant enduring turbulence. At lower altitudes began to encounter light-moderate turbulence again. Eased off power to slow speed down to reduce stress on myself and aircraft. As I continued descent and slow-down, noticed roughness develop in engine--not a surging effect, but a roughness that would indicate a mixture control or magneto problem. Worked with throttle and mixture control, checking the tach and fuel pressure, as I slowed down and descended further and got into more turbulence. I checked the ignition as well, to no avail; roughness persisted. Dealing with the heavy turbulence and unknown engine/fuel problem, I proceeded to fly to lawton airport as it appeared that runway was wide enough, even for severe crosswind landing. Wanted to take no chances on having to go around, due engine problem. This required immediate ssw turn over west end of army post. I did this intentionally in my need to get to lawton as soon as possible. I figured any danger within restr area would be less over the base and over the town of lawton. Had already tuned in military tower common frequency for altus, so called army tower. I wasn't sure whether the lawton base was ft sill or ft hood. I transmitted to 'lawton army tower' my position and intention, and proceeded inbound west/O acknowledgement. Switched fuel tanks and the engine roughness stopped, so I proceeded farther ssw and west of lawton control area to think. I thought maybe I had a partially trapped fuel supply in right wing tank. Some impediment to fuel flow or fuel control problem, or some problem within selector valve itself, possibly caused by the turbulence. Since I had adequate fuel in left tank to get to altus, plus concern about crosswind component, I decided to proceed to altus. From the initial roughness to this point took approximately 2 mins. Proceeded at low altitudes. Tried to tune in altus ATIS to no avail. Tried 2 different frequencys, as inner circle of control area was printed over the frequency and wasn't legible. Then called altus tower twice, to no avail. Then began suspect that I might have radio failure. When I reached down to pick up my sectional chart to check field elevation at altus, I noticed right wing boost pump was on. While descending from the lindsay, paul's valley area, while handling the chart or autoplt/flight director, I'd accidentally turned the toggle switch. Switch is on side console to left of pilot's seat. Apparently the excess fuel supply to the engine when I reduced power north of ft sill is what caused the rough engine. I was now approaching altus inner circle control area, so turned on landing and taxi lights. Knowing my fuel state and west/O mechanical problem at this point, other than possible radio problem, I changed my mind about going to altus, since crosswind was no longer a concern. Flew southwest to circle around south side of altus noting 2 aircraft flying south from base. I remained below traffic pattern altitude for safety reasons. To be sure I encountered no aircraft, I left my landing and taxi lights on till I reached west side of area and turned west toward hollis. Next, as I proceeded westbound to hollis, I noticed an aircraft at my 4:30 position, 30' above me, 200' back, flying same direction with landing lights on, gear and flaps down. I thought aircraft was shadowing me west/oletting me know he was there. I assumed he must have been on an extended crosswind leg from altus air base and didn't see me. If it wasn't on traffic pattern path, it was maintaining a constant position in a dangerous position, if that was aircraft commander's intention. If I'd turned right and up only slightly, we'd have had an immediate midair collision. I proceeded to hollis and landed with no adverse events. Closed my flight plan and reported to mcalester the possible airspace violations. Didn't relate in any detail the other events, nor did I report the other aircraft that had sat at my 4:30 position in a dangerous spot. One of the reasons I did not elaborate further in my report to mcalester FSS controller was that his response was something like, 'probably nothing will come of it.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA WITH INDICATIONS OF ENGINE PROBLEM HAD INTENTIONS OF LNDG AT LAWTON, BUT ENGINE ROUGHNESS CLEARED UP AND PLT CONTINUED TO ALTUS ARPT. ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH LAWTON ARMY TWR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. PLT ADVISED BY FAA OF INVESTIGATION INTO PENETRATION OF RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: VFR FLT FILED WITH LITTLE ROCK FSS AND FLOWN 4/91. FLT RTE WAS LITTLE ROCK VOR, DIRECT RICH MOUNTAIN VOR, DIRECT MCALESTER VOR, DIRECT HOBART VOR, DIRECT HOLLIS MUNI ARPT OK. BRIEFER MENTIONED HEADWINDS AS WELL AS FORECASTED TURB. AFTER LEVELING OFF I NOTED VERY STRONG HEADWIND, 40-50 KTS. I PROCEED WBND TOWARD HOBART. I NOTED HEAVIER THAN NORMAL FUEL BURN DUE HEADWIND, AS WELL AS LOW ALT MANEUVERING DONE EARLIER TO ESCAPE TURB. I DEVELOPED AN ALTERNATE PLAN FROM ORIGINAL FLT PLAN TO PROCEED MORE WSW, INTERSECTING HWY IF NECESSARY FOR GEOGRAPHIC REF BTWN LAWTON AND ALTUS, THEN PROCEEDING DIRECT INTO HOLLIS. IF A MORE CRITICAL FUEL STATE EXISTED AS I APCHED THAT AREA, I'D LAND AT ALTUS AND REFUEL. EVEN GAVE CONSIDERATION, BECAUSE OF SEVERE XWIND, TO LNDG AT ALTUS AFB BECAUSE OF WIDER RWY, IF IT WERE NECESSARY AND FUEL STATE CRITICAL. OTHERWISE, WOULD LAND AT ALTUS MUNI ARPT. NNW OF LAWTON, I BEGAN DSNT TO CUT DOWN ON HEADWIND PROB, EVEN THOUGH IT MEANT ENDURING TURB. AT LOWER ALTS BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER LIGHT-MODERATE TURB AGAIN. EASED OFF PWR TO SLOW SPD DOWN TO REDUCE STRESS ON MYSELF AND ACFT. AS I CONTINUED DSNT AND SLOW-DOWN, NOTICED ROUGHNESS DEVELOP IN ENG--NOT A SURGING EFFECT, BUT A ROUGHNESS THAT WOULD INDICATE A MIXTURE CTL OR MAGNETO PROB. WORKED WITH THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CTL, CHKING THE TACH AND FUEL PRESSURE, AS I SLOWED DOWN AND DSNDED FURTHER AND GOT INTO MORE TURB. I CHKED THE IGNITION AS WELL, TO NO AVAIL; ROUGHNESS PERSISTED. DEALING WITH THE HEAVY TURB AND UNKNOWN ENG/FUEL PROB, I PROCEEDED TO FLY TO LAWTON ARPT AS IT APPEARED THAT RWY WAS WIDE ENOUGH, EVEN FOR SEVERE XWIND LNDG. WANTED TO TAKE NO CHANCES ON HAVING TO GO AROUND, DUE ENG PROB. THIS REQUIRED IMMEDIATE SSW TURN OVER W END OF ARMY POST. I DID THIS INTENTIONALLY IN MY NEED TO GET TO LAWTON ASAP. I FIGURED ANY DANGER WITHIN RESTR AREA WOULD BE LESS OVER THE BASE AND OVER THE TOWN OF LAWTON. HAD ALREADY TUNED IN MIL TWR COMMON FREQ FOR ALTUS, SO CALLED ARMY TWR. I WASN'T SURE WHETHER THE LAWTON BASE WAS FT SILL OR FT HOOD. I XMITTED TO 'LAWTON ARMY TWR' MY POS AND INTENTION, AND PROCEEDED INBND W/O ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND THE ENG ROUGHNESS STOPPED, SO I PROCEEDED FARTHER SSW AND W OF LAWTON CTL AREA TO THINK. I THOUGHT MAYBE I HAD A PARTIALLY TRAPPED FUEL SUPPLY IN RIGHT WING TANK. SOME IMPEDIMENT TO FUEL FLOW OR FUEL CTL PROB, OR SOME PROB WITHIN SELECTOR VALVE ITSELF, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY THE TURB. SINCE I HAD ADEQUATE FUEL IN LEFT TANK TO GET TO ALTUS, PLUS CONCERN ABOUT XWIND COMPONENT, I DECIDED TO PROCEED TO ALTUS. FROM THE INITIAL ROUGHNESS TO THIS POINT TOOK APPROX 2 MINS. PROCEEDED AT LOW ALTS. TRIED TO TUNE IN ALTUS ATIS TO NO AVAIL. TRIED 2 DIFFERENT FREQS, AS INNER CIRCLE OF CTL AREA WAS PRINTED OVER THE FREQ AND WASN'T LEGIBLE. THEN CALLED ALTUS TWR TWICE, TO NO AVAIL. THEN BEGAN SUSPECT THAT I MIGHT HAVE RADIO FAILURE. WHEN I REACHED DOWN TO PICK UP MY SECTIONAL CHART TO CHK FIELD ELEVATION AT ALTUS, I NOTICED RIGHT WING BOOST PUMP WAS ON. WHILE DSNDING FROM THE LINDSAY, PAUL'S VALLEY AREA, WHILE HANDLING THE CHART OR AUTOPLT/FLT DIRECTOR, I'D ACCIDENTALLY TURNED THE TOGGLE SWITCH. SWITCH IS ON SIDE CONSOLE TO LEFT OF PLT'S SEAT. APPARENTLY THE EXCESS FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENG WHEN I REDUCED PWR N OF FT SILL IS WHAT CAUSED THE ROUGH ENG. I WAS NOW APCHING ALTUS INNER CIRCLE CTL AREA, SO TURNED ON LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS. KNOWING MY FUEL STATE AND W/O MECHANICAL PROB AT THIS POINT, OTHER THAN POSSIBLE RADIO PROB, I CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT GOING TO ALTUS, SINCE XWIND WAS NO LONGER A CONCERN. FLEW SW TO CIRCLE AROUND S SIDE OF ALTUS NOTING 2 ACFT FLYING S FROM BASE. I REMAINED BELOW TFC PATTERN ALT FOR SAFETY REASONS. TO BE SURE I ENCOUNTERED NO ACFT, I LEFT MY LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS ON TILL I REACHED W SIDE OF AREA AND TURNED W TOWARD HOLLIS. NEXT, AS I PROCEEDED WBND TO HOLLIS, I NOTICED AN ACFT AT MY 4:30 POS, 30' ABOVE ME, 200' BACK, FLYING SAME DIRECTION WITH LNDG LIGHTS ON, GEAR AND FLAPS DOWN. I THOUGHT ACFT WAS SHADOWING ME W/OLETTING ME KNOW HE WAS THERE. I ASSUMED HE MUST HAVE BEEN ON AN EXTENDED XWIND LEG FROM ALTUS AIR BASE AND DIDN'T SEE ME. IF IT WASN'T ON TFC PATTERN PATH, IT WAS MAINTAINING A CONSTANT POS IN A DANGEROUS POS, IF THAT WAS ACFT COMMANDER'S INTENTION. IF I'D TURNED RIGHT AND UP ONLY SLIGHTLY, WE'D HAVE HAD AN IMMEDIATE MIDAIR COLLISION. I PROCEEDED TO HOLLIS AND LANDED WITH NO ADVERSE EVENTS. CLOSED MY FLT PLAN AND RPTED TO MCALESTER THE POSSIBLE AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS. DIDN'T RELATE IN ANY DETAIL THE OTHER EVENTS, NOR DID I RPT THE OTHER ACFT THAT HAD SAT AT MY 4:30 POS IN A DANGEROUS SPOT. ONE OF THE REASONS I DID NOT ELABORATE FURTHER IN MY RPT TO MCALESTER FSS CTLR WAS THAT HIS RESPONSE WAS SOMETHING LIKE, 'PROBABLY NOTHING WILL COME OF IT.'

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.