Narrative:

Front engine failed during cruise climb at approximately 6000'. I had filed an IFR flight plan and I departed merrill field airport in anchorage with an IFR clearance. Shortly after receiving the clearance, the front engine began popping, shaking and losing power. I requested to return to anchorage international as I was experiencing engine problems. The controller asked some questions and wanted to know if it was an emergency. I said, 'ok.' he told me to change frequency, which I did. They asked more questions at a bad time, as I was busy. I was cleared to land and the return, except for the distrs, was uneventful. Then came the investigation by FAA investigators; it was just like I was on trial. After producing what papers were in the aircraft, I found out that the log books were at the flight operations shop, an FBO at merrill field, as they had just done an extensive inspection and work not too long before. However, as it turned out, they had not completed the annual. Therefore, my aircraft's annual was out of date by about 1 month. It was then determined that besides the FBO having the missing paperwork, and doing over $3000 work west/O completing the annual, they had not done the altimeter check, the encoder certification, the static check, nor the replacement of the ELT batteries. The FAA has stated that I was in a lot of trouble and wanted to know how many flts, VFR and IFR, I had made in the aircraft in the last month. My comment to them was that I would never declare an emergency again. I was unaware of the violations, and I was not intending to fly west/O the required paperwork or and annual, or an altitude check, or to break any laws, as I thought all the checks had been done. I operated the aircraft in a safe manner and returned west/O endangering anyone's life or even inconveniencing anyone, or having an accident. I have not been given a violation ever in over 20 yrs as PIC and I believe the attitude of the FAA will result in unsafe flying due to the fact that most pilots would rather take their chances west/O declaring an emergency rather than risk being cited by the FAA for not complying with unrelated violations after an unexpected and unwarranted investigation!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT TWIN ENGINE FAILURE DURING CLIMB. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: FRONT ENG FAILED DURING CRUISE CLB AT APPROX 6000'. I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND I DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD ARPT IN ANCHORAGE WITH AN IFR CLRNC. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THE CLRNC, THE FRONT ENG BEGAN POPPING, SHAKING AND LOSING PWR. I REQUESTED TO RETURN TO ANCHORAGE INTL AS I WAS EXPERIENCING ENG PROBS. THE CTLR ASKED SOME QUESTIONS AND WANTED TO KNOW IF IT WAS AN EMER. I SAID, 'OK.' HE TOLD ME TO CHANGE FREQ, WHICH I DID. THEY ASKED MORE QUESTIONS AT A BAD TIME, AS I WAS BUSY. I WAS CLRED TO LAND AND THE RETURN, EXCEPT FOR THE DISTRS, WAS UNEVENTFUL. THEN CAME THE INVESTIGATION BY FAA INVESTIGATORS; IT WAS JUST LIKE I WAS ON TRIAL. AFTER PRODUCING WHAT PAPERS WERE IN THE ACFT, I FOUND OUT THAT THE LOG BOOKS WERE AT THE FLT OPS SHOP, AN FBO AT MERRILL FIELD, AS THEY HAD JUST DONE AN EXTENSIVE INSPECTION AND WORK NOT TOO LONG BEFORE. HOWEVER, AS IT TURNED OUT, THEY HAD NOT COMPLETED THE ANNUAL. THEREFORE, MY ACFT'S ANNUAL WAS OUT OF DATE BY ABOUT 1 MONTH. IT WAS THEN DETERMINED THAT BESIDES THE FBO HAVING THE MISSING PAPERWORK, AND DOING OVER $3000 WORK W/O COMPLETING THE ANNUAL, THEY HAD NOT DONE THE ALTIMETER CHK, THE ENCODER CERTIFICATION, THE STATIC CHK, NOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ELT BATTERIES. THE FAA HAS STATED THAT I WAS IN A LOT OF TROUBLE AND WANTED TO KNOW HOW MANY FLTS, VFR AND IFR, I HAD MADE IN THE ACFT IN THE LAST MONTH. MY COMMENT TO THEM WAS THAT I WOULD NEVER DECLARE AN EMER AGAIN. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE VIOLATIONS, AND I WAS NOT INTENDING TO FLY W/O THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK OR AND ANNUAL, OR AN ALT CHK, OR TO BREAK ANY LAWS, AS I THOUGHT ALL THE CHKS HAD BEEN DONE. I OPERATED THE ACFT IN A SAFE MANNER AND RETURNED W/O ENDANGERING ANYONE'S LIFE OR EVEN INCONVENIENCING ANYONE, OR HAVING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN A VIOLATION EVER IN OVER 20 YRS AS PIC AND I BELIEVE THE ATTITUDE OF THE FAA WILL RESULT IN UNSAFE FLYING DUE TO THE FACT THAT MOST PLTS WOULD RATHER TAKE THEIR CHANCES W/O DECLARING AN EMER RATHER THAN RISK BEING CITED BY THE FAA FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH UNRELATED VIOLATIONS AFTER AN UNEXPECTED AND UNWARRANTED INVESTIGATION!

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