Pilot of an small aircraft sel declared an emergency and diverted to another airport due to a rough ...

Attributes
ACN	465838
Time
Date	200003
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cae.airport
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	465838
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Engine had slight miss on way from pwk to J21. Plugs cleaned at J21 -- run-up ok. Left J21 and at about 30 mi northwest of columbia, engine again had occasional miss. Couldn't clean miss by leaning. Engine now continuously missing. I asked approach for vector heading to get to the closest airport. Turned to heading and tried magnetos separately as well as RPM changes -- no good -- with rough engine in unfamiliar area responded 'yes' when controller asked if I wanted to declare emergency. Actually turned out to be uneventful. Engine continued to run (but rough) and we made airport with plenty of altitude. At 3000 ft canceled IFR and made normal landing. Mechanic checked engine and 1 cylinder had fouled plugs (ok). Cylinder pulled and sent out for service. Rings not broken, about 600 hours on new cylinder. Mechanic says it looks like rings weren't seating, ring tension good and no scoring in cylinder wall. ATC very responsive and helpful in getting us safely down. Representative from approach called later (15 mins) to check if everything ok and representative from FAA called about 15 mins later also to check if everything ok.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENG.

Narrative: ENG HAD SLIGHT MISS ON WAY FROM PWK TO J21. PLUGS CLEANED AT J21 -- RUN-UP OK. LEFT J21 AND AT ABOUT 30 MI NW OF COLUMBIA, ENG AGAIN HAD OCCASIONAL MISS. COULDN'T CLEAN MISS BY LEANING. ENG NOW CONTINUOUSLY MISSING. I ASKED APCH FOR VECTOR HEADING TO GET TO THE CLOSEST ARPT. TURNED TO HEADING AND TRIED MAGNETOS SEPARATELY AS WELL AS RPM CHANGES -- NO GOOD -- WITH ROUGH ENG IN UNFAMILIAR AREA RESPONDED 'YES' WHEN CTLR ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE EMER. ACTUALLY TURNED OUT TO BE UNEVENTFUL. ENG CONTINUED TO RUN (BUT ROUGH) AND WE MADE ARPT WITH PLENTY OF ALT. AT 3000 FT CANCELED IFR AND MADE NORMAL LNDG. MECH CHKED ENG AND 1 CYLINDER HAD FOULED PLUGS (OK). CYLINDER PULLED AND SENT OUT FOR SVC. RINGS NOT BROKEN, ABOUT 600 HRS ON NEW CYLINDER. MECH SAYS IT LOOKS LIKE RINGS WEREN'T SEATING, RING TENSION GOOD AND NO SCORING IN CYLINDER WALL. ATC VERY RESPONSIVE AND HELPFUL IN GETTING US SAFELY DOWN. REPRESENTATIVE FROM APCH CALLED LATER (15 MINS) TO CHK IF EVERYTHING OK AND REPRESENTATIVE FROM FAA CALLED ABOUT 15 MINS LATER ALSO TO CHK IF EVERYTHING OK.

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.

Pilot of an small aircraft sel declared an emergency and diverted to another airport due to a rough running engine.