Narrative:

I was at el monte airport, near arcadia, ca, flying my small aircraft. I requested and received an IFR clearance to palomar airport at carlsbad at 9000 ft. My request had been for 5000 ft. I again requested the lower altitude but it was denied. Since my 43 yr old small aircraft with only 185 hp and a full load was unable to get to 9000 ft in the short distance specified, I cancelled the request and decided to make the flight VFR. After takeoff, I climbed to a point about 1/2 way to the pomona VOR, leveled at about 2500 ft to gain speed for a short distance, intending to climb at about a 120 degree heading to intercept a line connecting the pomona and oceanside vors, climbing to clear the santa ana area above 4400 ft and then proceed over oceanside VOR to land at palomar. However, when I started to climb I found that the electric propeller was stuck in high pitch. In working the manual control switch to try to reduce the pitch for climb I accidentally got the propeller against the high pitch stop. I then had very great difficulty juggling airspeed and engine speed to get any climb at all. I tried to contact coast control but there were other xmissions on the frequencys and I had my hands full just flying the airplane at low speed trying to get 100 FPM climb in warm and turbulent air. The engine was laboring and vibrating and lugging at or below its minimum RPM. I had to concentrate on getting above 4400 ft so abandoned further attempts on the radio. I literally struggled to 4500 ft and decided that was as much as I wanted to abuse the engine, so stayed at 4500 ft instead of 5500 ft which I might not reach by the time of arrival over ocn anyway. On arrival at palomar, I found that a brush in the propeller pitch- change motor was not contacting the commutator. A short circuit had put a current through the brush spring and the spring had lost all strength due to high temperature. I had spare brushes and was able to change to a new one but could not determine the cause of the short circuit. I am not sure whether I may have failed to clear the edge of the area around the ont airport or the edge of the upper limit of the santa ana. I was so busy flying the airplane, trying to gain altitude, trying to get the propeller working and trying to communicate by radio, that my course varied somewhat and I may have reached the edge of the santa ana area before reaching 4400 ft. I was too busy to determine those items accurately. In retrospect, it probably would have been better to turn around and return to el monte. I just could not think of everything and was worried about my predicament and possible engine damage, for it was taking a real beating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC ALT CANCELS IFR, ENTERS ARSA.

Narrative: I WAS AT EL MONTE ARPT, NEAR ARCADIA, CA, FLYING MY SMA. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC TO PALOMAR ARPT AT CARLSBAD AT 9000 FT. MY REQUEST HAD BEEN FOR 5000 FT. I AGAIN REQUESTED THE LOWER ALT BUT IT WAS DENIED. SINCE MY 43 YR OLD SMA WITH ONLY 185 HP AND A FULL LOAD WAS UNABLE TO GET TO 9000 FT IN THE SHORT DISTANCE SPECIFIED, I CANCELLED THE REQUEST AND DECIDED TO MAKE THE FLT VFR. AFTER TKOF, I CLBED TO A POINT ABOUT 1/2 WAY TO THE POMONA VOR, LEVELED AT ABOUT 2500 FT TO GAIN SPD FOR A SHORT DISTANCE, INTENDING TO CLB AT ABOUT A 120 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT A LINE CONNECTING THE POMONA AND OCEANSIDE VORS, CLBING TO CLR THE SANTA ANA AREA ABOVE 4400 FT AND THEN PROCEED OVER OCEANSIDE VOR TO LAND AT PALOMAR. HOWEVER, WHEN I STARTED TO CLB I FOUND THAT THE ELECTRIC PROP WAS STUCK IN HIGH PITCH. IN WORKING THE MANUAL CTL SWITCH TO TRY TO REDUCE THE PITCH FOR CLB I ACCIDENTALLY GOT THE PROP AGAINST THE HIGH PITCH STOP. I THEN HAD VERY GREAT DIFFICULTY JUGGLING AIRSPD AND ENG SPD TO GET ANY CLB AT ALL. I TRIED TO CONTACT COAST CTL BUT THERE WERE OTHER XMISSIONS ON THE FREQS AND I HAD MY HANDS FULL JUST FLYING THE AIRPLANE AT LOW SPD TRYING TO GET 100 FPM CLB IN WARM AND TURBULENT AIR. THE ENG WAS LABORING AND VIBRATING AND LUGGING AT OR BELOW ITS MINIMUM RPM. I HAD TO CONCENTRATE ON GETTING ABOVE 4400 FT SO ABANDONED FURTHER ATTEMPTS ON THE RADIO. I LITERALLY STRUGGLED TO 4500 FT AND DECIDED THAT WAS AS MUCH AS I WANTED TO ABUSE THE ENG, SO STAYED AT 4500 FT INSTEAD OF 5500 FT WHICH I MIGHT NOT REACH BY THE TIME OF ARR OVER OCN ANYWAY. ON ARR AT PALOMAR, I FOUND THAT A BRUSH IN THE PROP PITCH- CHANGE MOTOR WAS NOT CONTACTING THE COMMUTATOR. A SHORT CIRCUIT HAD PUT A CURRENT THROUGH THE BRUSH SPRING AND THE SPRING HAD LOST ALL STRENGTH DUE TO HIGH TEMP. I HAD SPARE BRUSHES AND WAS ABLE TO CHANGE TO A NEW ONE BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SHORT CIRCUIT. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER I MAY HAVE FAILED TO CLR THE EDGE OF THE AREA AROUND THE ONT ARPT OR THE EDGE OF THE UPPER LIMIT OF THE SANTA ANA. I WAS SO BUSY FLYING THE AIRPLANE, TRYING TO GAIN ALT, TRYING TO GET THE PROP WORKING AND TRYING TO COMMUNICATE BY RADIO, THAT MY COURSE VARIED SOMEWHAT AND I MAY HAVE REACHED THE EDGE OF THE SANTA ANA AREA BEFORE REACHING 4400 FT. I WAS TOO BUSY TO DETERMINE THOSE ITEMS ACCURATELY. IN RETROSPECT, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO EL MONTE. I JUST COULD NOT THINK OF EVERYTHING AND WAS WORRIED ABOUT MY PREDICAMENT AND POSSIBLE ENG DAMAGE, FOR IT WAS TAKING A REAL BEATING.

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.