Narrative:

Departed at XA15. Ceiling 800 and tops 3800 ft. Vectors to bolos intersection. Portable GPS information 15 mi south of ZZZ1 and 7 mi south of ZZZ. Climbing through 6500 ft. Loud bang and smell of smoke. Declared emergency with departure. Requested nearest airport ZZZ. They told me to fly 180 degrees and descend to 4000 ft. I told them that I had already started a turn to the north and wanted to remain high. Was told to change to frequency. I mentioned that I would like to fly above ZZZ and circle downward. Due to low ceiling circling; not an option. Conversation about being too high; getting down for ILS at ZZZ. Instructed to turn 270 degrees. Descended into clouds level at 2000 ft. Apparently another aircraft with similar call sign confusing instructions. My heading now was 180 degrees. I read back turn left 10 degrees to 190 degrees. I actually needed to turn 10 degrees right to 190 degrees. Knew something was wrong. Finding approach plate for ILS at ZZZ. Engine running rough. Speed at 88 KTS still had power control. Entered ZZZ into GPS. ZZZ now 11 mi to the north. Told approach that I was going the wrong direction. Approach told me harshly that 3 times they instructed aircraft X turn to 040 degrees. Told to intercept localizer for ILS. Instructed to contact tower. Instructed direct intersection. Instructed to report established on the localizer. Reported localizer coming alive and then established. Was cleared to land. Broke out of clouds at 800 ft and landed. During landing roll tower instructed an aircraft to taxi to delta if able. Taxied to delta and met police and fire trucks. Oil exited cowling onto nosewheel. Called 1-800-WX-brief; making sure approach knew I landed. Blew #5 cylinder-split apart. Questions: did frequency know aircraft declared an emergency? Why did ATC not correct my readbacks? Why was X 6.5 mi further away from ZZZ now 11 mi from ZZZ? Aircraft was in trouble; pilot busy; engine problem and IMC. Was aircraft given proper care during an emergency? I think approach control should have kept me close to ZZZ with a circling descent to the ILS. In the event that the engine stopped; aircraft X could still make the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR SMA DECLARED EMERGENCY BECAUSE OF ENGINE PROBLEMS; DIVERTED TO NEAREST AIRPORT; QUESTIONED ATC SERVICES; I.E. VECTORS AWAY FROM LANDING AIRPORT.

Narrative: DEPARTED AT XA15. CEILING 800 AND TOPS 3800 FT. VECTORS TO BOLOS INTXN. PORTABLE GPS INFO 15 MI S OF ZZZ1 AND 7 MI S OF ZZZ. CLBING THROUGH 6500 FT. LOUD BANG AND SMELL OF SMOKE. DECLARED EMER WITH DEP. REQUESTED NEAREST ARPT ZZZ. THEY TOLD ME TO FLY 180 DEGS AND DSND TO 4000 FT. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD ALREADY STARTED A TURN TO THE N AND WANTED TO REMAIN HIGH. WAS TOLD TO CHANGE TO FREQ. I MENTIONED THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FLY ABOVE ZZZ AND CIRCLE DOWNWARD. DUE TO LOW CEILING CIRCLING; NOT AN OPTION. CONVERSATION ABOUT BEING TOO HIGH; GETTING DOWN FOR ILS AT ZZZ. INSTRUCTED TO TURN 270 DEGS. DSNDED INTO CLOUDS LEVEL AT 2000 FT. APPARENTLY ANOTHER ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN CONFUSING INSTRUCTIONS. MY HDG NOW WAS 180 DEGS. I READ BACK TURN L 10 DEGS TO 190 DEGS. I ACTUALLY NEEDED TO TURN 10 DEGS R TO 190 DEGS. KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. FINDING APCH PLATE FOR ILS AT ZZZ. ENG RUNNING ROUGH. SPD AT 88 KTS STILL HAD PWR CTL. ENTERED ZZZ INTO GPS. ZZZ NOW 11 MI TO THE N. TOLD APCH THAT I WAS GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION. APCH TOLD ME HARSHLY THAT 3 TIMES THEY INSTRUCTED ACFT X TURN TO 040 DEGS. TOLD TO INTERCEPT LOC FOR ILS. INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR. INSTRUCTED DIRECT INTXN. INSTRUCTED TO RPT ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC. RPTED LOC COMING ALIVE AND THEN ESTABLISHED. WAS CLRED TO LAND. BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS AT 800 FT AND LANDED. DURING LNDG ROLL TWR INSTRUCTED AN ACFT TO TAXI TO DELTA IF ABLE. TAXIED TO DELTA AND MET POLICE AND FIRE TRUCKS. OIL EXITED COWLING ONTO NOSEWHEEL. CALLED 1-800-WX-BRIEF; MAKING SURE APCH KNEW I LANDED. BLEW #5 CYLINDER-SPLIT APART. QUESTIONS: DID FREQ KNOW ACFT DECLARED AN EMER? WHY DID ATC NOT CORRECT MY READBACKS? WHY WAS X 6.5 MI FURTHER AWAY FROM ZZZ NOW 11 MI FROM ZZZ? ACFT WAS IN TROUBLE; PLT BUSY; ENG PROB AND IMC. WAS ACFT GIVEN PROPER CARE DURING AN EMER? I THINK APCH CTL SHOULD HAVE KEPT ME CLOSE TO ZZZ WITH A CIRCLING DSCNT TO THE ILS. IN THE EVENT THAT THE ENG STOPPED; ACFT X COULD STILL MAKE THE ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.