Aircraft equipment problem suspected by FAA with threatened penalties.

Attributes
ACN	267590
Time
Date	199403
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bur
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bur
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	267590
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On mar/thu/94, departing bur airport on climb out, tower advised I was trailing black smoke from left engine. Engine instruments and aircraft were performing normally. The tower asked my intentions, I said I guess I would return to land. I pulled the left mixture back maybe 1/2 inch. The aircraft that took off after me called that it had cleared up. I made a large circle over the airport and everything was satisfactory. I advised the tower I would continue on, there was no problem. I am an ATP and an a&P for many yrs. From my experience I realized the engine had loaded up and burned clean. I entered in the maintenance log the left engine had loaded up and cleared up, operations checked satisfactory. FAA maintenance inspector at grand canyon checked the engine and ran it at full power and agreed with me it was ok and satisfactory. I have flown the aircraft 4 times since then and it is satisfactory. I was called on apr/xx/94 by the FAA. They were checking into it and might be violated. I feel there was nothing wrong with the aircraft or engine or I wouldn't have gone on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB SUSPECTED BY FAA WITH THREATENED PENALTIES.

Narrative: ON MAR/THU/94, DEPARTING BUR ARPT ON CLBOUT, TWR ADVISED I WAS TRAILING BLACK SMOKE FROM L ENG. ENG INSTS AND ACFT WERE PERFORMING NORMALLY. THE TWR ASKED MY INTENTIONS, I SAID I GUESS I WOULD RETURN TO LAND. I PULLED THE L MIXTURE BACK MAYBE 1/2 INCH. THE ACFT THAT TOOK OFF AFTER ME CALLED THAT IT HAD CLRED UP. I MADE A LARGE CIRCLE OVER THE ARPT AND EVERYTHING WAS SATISFACTORY. I ADVISED THE TWR I WOULD CONTINUE ON, THERE WAS NO PROB. I AM AN ATP AND AN A&P FOR MANY YRS. FROM MY EXPERIENCE I REALIZED THE ENG HAD LOADED UP AND BURNED CLEAN. I ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOG THE L ENG HAD LOADED UP AND CLRED UP, OPS CHKED SATISFACTORY. FAA MAINT INSPECTOR AT GRAND CANYON CHKED THE ENG AND RAN IT AT FULL PWR AND AGREED WITH ME IT WAS OK AND SATISFACTORY. I HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT 4 TIMES SINCE THEN AND IT IS SATISFACTORY. I WAS CALLED ON APR/XX/94 BY THE FAA. THEY WERE CHKING INTO IT AND MIGHT BE VIOLATED. I FEEL THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ACFT OR ENG OR I WOULDN'T HAVE GONE ON.

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.