Narrative:

After a precautionary engine shutdown due to engine roughness/smoke out exhaust, I was unable to maintain assigned altitude of 10000' (MEA). Center had been advised of precautionary shutdown. Light rime was enough to make me unable to maintain altitude and I advised center. They told me minimum vectoring altitude in my sector was 10000' and would be unable to provide further assistance unless I wanted to declare an emergency. At this time I was approximately 9500'. Moments later I broke out of clouds and told center I was VFR and wanted to deviate south off arwy. They cleared me to VFR on top. Single engine ILS completed into cdb west/O incident. Contributing factors: 1) propeller deice inoperative. 2) deice boots inoperative. 3) autoplt inoperative. These have been inoperative for some time and we were expected to operate these aircraft west/O writing them up so they're not grounded. I guess it's the old air taxi problem. I'd like to see a way that pilots could anonymously contact the FAA about maintenance problems west/O fear of losing our jobs. Note: center was very helpful, even though I didn't declare an emergency. They advised me of the vicinity of the 3 nearest, highest mountains in my sector. By doing so, I was aware that I was clear of these obstructions, and thought I couldn't maintain MEA, I was in fact safe from collision. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback made to inform reporter of FAA hotline #. Reporter states he raised a ruckus about the aircraft condition after the incident. Doesn't know if it did any good. Got ramp checked soon after. An oil access door had come open in flight and reporter insisted maintenance take some action. They taped it shut. FAA inspector asked to see ferry permit indicating if latch was broken then aircraft was not airworthy and permit required. As reporter stated, 'if I don't fly equipment as is I lose my job. If I do fly and get ramp checked, I lose my certificate.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI IN IMC HAS TO SHUT DOWN ENGINE. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MEA.

Narrative: AFTER A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN DUE TO ENG ROUGHNESS/SMOKE OUT EXHAUST, I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT OF 10000' (MEA). CENTER HAD BEEN ADVISED OF PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN. LIGHT RIME WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND I ADVISED CENTER. THEY TOLD ME MINIMUM VECTORING ALT IN MY SECTOR WAS 10000' AND WOULD BE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE UNLESS I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. AT THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 9500'. MOMENTS LATER I BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS AND TOLD CENTER I WAS VFR AND WANTED TO DEVIATE S OFF ARWY. THEY CLRED ME TO VFR ON TOP. SINGLE ENG ILS COMPLETED INTO CDB W/O INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) PROP DEICE INOP. 2) DEICE BOOTS INOP. 3) AUTOPLT INOP. THESE HAVE BEEN INOP FOR SOME TIME AND WE WERE EXPECTED TO OPERATE THESE ACFT W/O WRITING THEM UP SO THEY'RE NOT GNDED. I GUESS IT'S THE OLD AIR TAXI PROB. I'D LIKE TO SEE A WAY THAT PLTS COULD ANONYMOUSLY CONTACT THE FAA ABOUT MAINT PROBS W/O FEAR OF LOSING OUR JOBS. NOTE: CENTER WAS VERY HELPFUL, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER. THEY ADVISED ME OF THE VICINITY OF THE 3 NEAREST, HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN MY SECTOR. BY DOING SO, I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS CLR OF THESE OBSTRUCTIONS, AND THOUGHT I COULDN'T MAINTAIN MEA, I WAS IN FACT SAFE FROM COLLISION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK MADE TO INFORM RPTR OF FAA HOTLINE #. RPTR STATES HE RAISED A RUCKUS ABOUT THE ACFT CONDITION AFTER THE INCIDENT. DOESN'T KNOW IF IT DID ANY GOOD. GOT RAMP CHKED SOON AFTER. AN OIL ACCESS DOOR HAD COME OPEN IN FLT AND RPTR INSISTED MAINT TAKE SOME ACTION. THEY TAPED IT SHUT. FAA INSPECTOR ASKED TO SEE FERRY PERMIT INDICATING IF LATCH WAS BROKEN THEN ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY AND PERMIT REQUIRED. AS RPTR STATED, 'IF I DON'T FLY EQUIP AS IS I LOSE MY JOB. IF I DO FLY AND GET RAMP CHKED, I LOSE MY CERTIFICATE.'

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.