Narrative:

I was making a test flight for maintenance at cae; runway 11. I asked ground control for an unrestr climb to 10000 ft to orbit the airport. I explained to ground control and the tower this was the first test flight in factory new engines. I was assigned runway heading to 2500 ft. At about 1000 ft I began to lose manifold pressure on the starboard engine while I was being handed off to departure control. I immediately rolled into a left turn to enter the left downwind to runway 11. There was no time for explanations. About 50 degrees into the turn I told departure what I was doing. He informed me I was on an assigned heading and altitude. I told him what I had explained to ground control and the tower; but he said he had no communication from them. I turned off the boost pump and the problem cleared up; so I continued my climb. I was in unrestr VFR and there was no conflicting traffic. The controller was not happy with my actions but the NTSB is full of accidents because pilots were busy talking to controllers instead of flying the airplane. I am convinced you should explain any deviation when there is time but always the first priority is fly the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PERFORMING FIRST TKOF ON A NEWLY INSTALLED ENG; PLT OF C340 EXPERIENCES PARTIAL PWR LOSS AND ATTEMPTS A RETURN TO DEP ARPT. PLT DISAGREEMENT WITH DEP CTLR REGARDING HIS ACTIONS.

Narrative: I WAS MAKING A TEST FLT FOR MAINT AT CAE; RWY 11. I ASKED GND CTL FOR AN UNRESTR CLB TO 10000 FT TO ORBIT THE ARPT. I EXPLAINED TO GND CTL AND THE TWR THIS WAS THE FIRST TEST FLT IN FACTORY NEW ENGS. I WAS ASSIGNED RWY HDG TO 2500 FT. AT ABOUT 1000 FT I BEGAN TO LOSE MANIFOLD PRESSURE ON THE STARBOARD ENG WHILE I WAS BEING HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL. I IMMEDIATELY ROLLED INTO A L TURN TO ENTER THE L DOWNWIND TO RWY 11. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EXPLANATIONS. ABOUT 50 DEGS INTO THE TURN I TOLD DEP WHAT I WAS DOING. HE INFORMED ME I WAS ON AN ASSIGNED HDG AND ALT. I TOLD HIM WHAT I HAD EXPLAINED TO GND CTL AND THE TWR; BUT HE SAID HE HAD NO COM FROM THEM. I TURNED OFF THE BOOST PUMP AND THE PROB CLRED UP; SO I CONTINUED MY CLB. I WAS IN UNRESTR VFR AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC. THE CTLR WAS NOT HAPPY WITH MY ACTIONS BUT THE NTSB IS FULL OF ACCIDENTS BECAUSE PLTS WERE BUSY TALKING TO CTLRS INSTEAD OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE. I AM CONVINCED YOU SHOULD EXPLAIN ANY DEV WHEN THERE IS TIME BUT ALWAYS THE FIRST PRIORITY IS FLY THE AIRPLANE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.