Narrative:

I had been flying a traffic reporting flight in the atlantic city region for the previous 5 hours. As dusk approached I was planning a final check of the area to the south of atlantic city when I observed an unforecast scattered layer below me. I turned back to return the pne (northeast philadelphia) after checking the WX with FSS. VFR forecast conditions, however, a thunderstorm was approaching the philadelphia region. The scattered layer, which was quickly becoming broken, was unforecast. I decided to land at acy for fuel, because the possibility to deviate existed, and to check the new terminal reports. While on the ground, acy went IFR, 800 broken and 7 mi visibility. Expecting to complete the remainder of the flight VFR, I filed IFR to depart acy, I did also decide to wait for the thunderstorm in the philadelphia region (my destination) to pass. After waiting 1 1/2 hours the thunderstorm had broken up leaving pne 2000 ft broken and 5 mi visibility with light rain. While getting my IFR clearance from acy clearance, I debated continuing due to the poor condition of the interior lights. I reasoned that the VFR nature of the majority of the flight would be ok. By this time it was XA30 pm, I was tired, hungry , and eager to get home. I had to work early the following day on a non flying job. I received my clearance and departed runway 22. Climbing on runway heading was uneventful. I contacted departure and received a new vector. While turning right and just passing through the top of the broken clouds (at 1200 ft MSL) the engine sputtered, shook and began losing power. I told departure that the engine was rough and that I needed a 'vector back to the airport,' to which I was queried 'which airport.' I did not declare an emergency. I was considering declaring an urgency but was side tracked trying to solve the engine problem. The RPM's were decreasing as the engine shook. They offered to vector me for a VOR approach, but I did not want to be vectored from the airport. I expected the engine to quit. I could see the ground lights below, I was heading north presumably over the airport, so I descended through a gap in the broken layer. I informed approach that I was descending through a break in the clouds. I saw the airport below us but mistakenly called my position as downwind for runway 22, when it was actually runway 31. I landed without event. I had received clearance to land on runway 31, but I realized during the engine trouble that I was not instrument current, and the airplane wasn't either. Realizing this caused me to hesitate in declaring an emergency. The tower treated it as an emergency situation anyhow. I felt descending through the clouds near the airport was safer than risking having the engine quit altogether while I was being vectored for an approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION ON SMA MANDATES A RETURN LAND. NIGHT OP.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN FLYING A TFC RPTING FLT IN THE ATLANTIC CITY REGION FOR THE PREVIOUS 5 HRS. AS DUSK APCHED I WAS PLANNING A FINAL CHK OF THE AREA TO THE S OF ATLANTIC CITY WHEN I OBSERVED AN UNFORECAST SCATTERED LAYER BELOW ME. I TURNED BACK TO RETURN THE PNE (NE PHILADELPHIA) AFTER CHKING THE WX WITH FSS. VFR FORECAST CONDITIONS, HOWEVER, A TSTM WAS APCHING THE PHILADELPHIA REGION. THE SCATTERED LAYER, WHICH WAS QUICKLY BECOMING BROKEN, WAS UNFORECAST. I DECIDED TO LAND AT ACY FOR FUEL, BECAUSE THE POSSIBILITY TO DEVIATE EXISTED, AND TO CHK THE NEW TERMINAL RPTS. WHILE ON THE GND, ACY WENT IFR, 800 BROKEN AND 7 MI VISIBILITY. EXPECTING TO COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT VFR, I FILED IFR TO DEPART ACY, I DID ALSO DECIDE TO WAIT FOR THE TSTM IN THE PHILADELPHIA REGION (MY DEST) TO PASS. AFTER WAITING 1 1/2 HRS THE TSTM HAD BROKEN UP LEAVING PNE 2000 FT BROKEN AND 5 MI VISIBILITY WITH LIGHT RAIN. WHILE GETTING MY IFR CLRNC FROM ACY CLRNC, I DEBATED CONTINUING DUE TO THE POOR CONDITION OF THE INTERIOR LIGHTS. I REASONED THAT THE VFR NATURE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE FLT WOULD BE OK. BY THIS TIME IT WAS XA30 PM, I WAS TIRED, HUNGRY , AND EAGER TO GET HOME. I HAD TO WORK EARLY THE FOLLOWING DAY ON A NON FLYING JOB. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC AND DEPARTED RWY 22. CLBING ON RWY HDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I CONTACTED DEP AND RECEIVED A NEW VECTOR. WHILE TURNING R AND JUST PASSING THROUGH THE TOP OF THE BROKEN CLOUDS (AT 1200 FT MSL) THE ENG SPUTTERED, SHOOK AND BEGAN LOSING PWR. I TOLD DEP THAT THE ENG WAS ROUGH AND THAT I NEEDED A 'VECTOR BACK TO THE ARPT,' TO WHICH I WAS QUERIED 'WHICH ARPT.' I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. I WAS CONSIDERING DECLARING AN URGENCY BUT WAS SIDE TRACKED TRYING TO SOLVE THE ENG PROB. THE RPM'S WERE DECREASING AS THE ENG SHOOK. THEY OFFERED TO VECTOR ME FOR A VOR APCH, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO BE VECTORED FROM THE ARPT. I EXPECTED THE ENG TO QUIT. I COULD SEE THE GND LIGHTS BELOW, I WAS HDG N PRESUMABLY OVER THE ARPT, SO I DSNDED THROUGH A GAP IN THE BROKEN LAYER. I INFORMED APCH THAT I WAS DSNDING THROUGH A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS. I SAW THE ARPT BELOW US BUT MISTAKENLY CALLED MY POS AS DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22, WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY RWY 31. I LANDED WITHOUT EVENT. I HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 31, BUT I REALIZED DURING THE ENG TROUBLE THAT I WAS NOT INST CURRENT, AND THE AIRPLANE WASN'T EITHER. REALIZING THIS CAUSED ME TO HESITATE IN DECLARING AN EMER. THE TWR TREATED IT AS AN EMER SIT ANYHOW. I FELT DSNDING THROUGH THE CLOUDS NEAR THE ARPT WAS SAFER THAN RISKING HAVING THE ENG QUIT ALTOGETHER WHILE I WAS BEING VECTORED FOR AN APCH.

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.