Narrative:

Upon departure of hermasillo airport, mexico, aircraft was not making power. After departure lack of performance and manifold pressure and intercooler gauges intermittent and turbine inlet temperature intermittent because of damages from vandalism to aircraft in ocotlan, mexico. No problem with performance prior to hermasillo other than alternate air light was on at lower manifold pressure settings. After takeoff and reaching 8500 ft, reached an air carrier who radioed to united states, ZAB, emergency and requested an overflt to bfl or other larger strip. I would not land at calexico, worried about safely landing on a short strip as per takeoff problem at hermasillo. Overflt was declined by customs as I was crossing the ADIZ border. I climbed to 12500 ft as per customs overflt rules. An emergency was verified. There was some confusion between flight service and ATC over whether I declared an emergency. Customs was absolutely no help in resolving a safe resolution to this problem. All I wanted was a longer airstrip to land! The word from customs was we will meet you in bfl. My main concern was the safety of my passenger, safety of aircraft, and safety of myself. As a professional I feel I made the right decision. No person died, or was injured and I will live to fly another day. If the same situation occurred again, I would make the same final decision for the safety of my passenger and the general public. The customs officers on the ground in bfl were quite negative over flying to mexico. They attempted to throw off my story from my passenger. I do not like this kind of attitude. I have nothing to hide. I do not engage in any illegal activities. I stated to them that I am concerned over the amount of drugs entering the united states and it should be stopped. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter was flying a mooney mark 20k231. The aircraft was vandalized while in mexico and numerous components were damaged. The pilot attempted to obtain repairs, but was only partially successful. After refueling in hmo he took off and experienced performance problems that were later determined to be from contaminated fuel and additionally the fuel was of a lower octane than desired. The engine had to be changed and additional maintenance was performed. The reporter admitted to being focused on keeping the aircraft flying to the point that all that he was concerned about was getting it home safely. The FAA is apparently not pursuing the matter, but the customs service has sent him a notice that they intend to fine him for his actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THIS PLT'S ACFT WAS VANDALIZED AND HE HAD BEEN REFUELED WITH LOWER OCTANE, CONTAMINATED FUEL IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. HE DECLARED AN EMER ON CLBOUT FROM THAT COUNTRY'S ARPT, BUT MAY NOT HAVE WHEN HE CONTACTED ZLA. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT'S ENG AND FUEL SYS FROM THE VANDALISM AND THE WRONG FUEL.

Narrative: UPON DEP OF HERMASILLO ARPT, MEXICO, ACFT WAS NOT MAKING PWR. AFTER DEP LACK OF PERFORMANCE AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND INTERCOOLER GAUGES INTERMITTENT AND TURBINE INLET TEMP INTERMITTENT BECAUSE OF DAMAGES FROM VANDALISM TO ACFT IN OCOTLAN, MEXICO. NO PROB WITH PERFORMANCE PRIOR TO HERMASILLO OTHER THAN ALTERNATE AIR LIGHT WAS ON AT LOWER MANIFOLD PRESSURE SETTINGS. AFTER TKOF AND REACHING 8500 FT, REACHED AN ACR WHO RADIOED TO UNITED STATES, ZAB, EMER AND REQUESTED AN OVERFLT TO BFL OR OTHER LARGER STRIP. I WOULD NOT LAND AT CALEXICO, WORRIED ABOUT SAFELY LNDG ON A SHORT STRIP AS PER TKOF PROB AT HERMASILLO. OVERFLT WAS DECLINED BY CUSTOMS AS I WAS XING THE ADIZ BORDER. I CLBED TO 12500 FT AS PER CUSTOMS OVERFLT RULES. AN EMER WAS VERIFIED. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION BTWN FLT SVC AND ATC OVER WHETHER I DECLARED AN EMER. CUSTOMS WAS ABSOLUTELY NO HELP IN RESOLVING A SAFE RESOLUTION TO THIS PROB. ALL I WANTED WAS A LONGER AIRSTRIP TO LAND! THE WORD FROM CUSTOMS WAS WE WILL MEET YOU IN BFL. MY MAIN CONCERN WAS THE SAFETY OF MY PAX, SAFETY OF ACFT, AND SAFETY OF MYSELF. AS A PROFESSIONAL I FEEL I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. NO PERSON DIED, OR WAS INJURED AND I WILL LIVE TO FLY ANOTHER DAY. IF THE SAME SIT OCCURRED AGAIN, I WOULD MAKE THE SAME FINAL DECISION FOR THE SAFETY OF MY PAX AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE CUSTOMS OFFICERS ON THE GND IN BFL WERE QUITE NEGATIVE OVER FLYING TO MEXICO. THEY ATTEMPTED TO THROW OFF MY STORY FROM MY PAX. I DO NOT LIKE THIS KIND OF ATTITUDE. I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. I DO NOT ENGAGE IN ANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. I STATED TO THEM THAT I AM CONCERNED OVER THE AMOUNT OF DRUGS ENTERING THE UNITED STATES AND IT SHOULD BE STOPPED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS FLYING A MOONEY MARK 20K231. THE ACFT WAS VANDALIZED WHILE IN MEXICO AND NUMEROUS COMPONENTS WERE DAMAGED. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN REPAIRS, BUT WAS ONLY PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL. AFTER REFUELING IN HMO HE TOOK OFF AND EXPERIENCED PERFORMANCE PROBS THAT WERE LATER DETERMINED TO BE FROM CONTAMINATED FUEL AND ADDITIONALLY THE FUEL WAS OF A LOWER OCTANE THAN DESIRED. THE ENG HAD TO BE CHANGED AND ADDITIONAL MAINT WAS PERFORMED. THE RPTR ADMITTED TO BEING FOCUSED ON KEEPING THE ACFT FLYING TO THE POINT THAT ALL THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WAS GETTING IT HOME SAFELY. THE FAA IS APPARENTLY NOT PURSUING THE MATTER, BUT THE CUSTOMS SERVICE HAS SENT HIM A NOTICE THAT THEY INTEND TO FINE HIM FOR HIS ACTIONS.

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.