Narrative:

With the plane loaded to the certificated gross weight, I took off from runway 30 in cheyenne. After applying full throttle at the beginning of the takeoff roll, I verified the manifold pressure as showing the expected 22 inches. The RPM was 2300 instead of the expected 2400, but in a couple seconds came up to 2400. About the time I was over the departure end of the runway, I realized that it was going to be a shallow climb out at vx. Soon the climb deteriorated further. I checked the throttle, propeller and mixture, turned to my right toward the lowest terrain, and called the tower and told them I was having trouble climbing. The tower cleared me to land on runway 12. I had climbed what I estimate to be about 400 ft, but now was losing altitude, and all around me and under me was residential cheyenne. My turn toward lowest terrain was bringing me onto the centerline of runway 16, and I was in good position to land on runway 16. Due to the inability to maintain altitude I felt that I would descend into the houses before being able to make it to any other runway, so I landed on runway 16 which apparently was closed due to work being done on the intersecting runway 8/26. Runway 16 was in perfectly good shape and there were no obstructions on it except for same widely spaced flags about 1 1/2 ft high placed across the runway at its intersection with runway 8/26. It was a normal, fully controled landing and I stopped well short of the flags, and then easily taxied between them to parking. There was no accident, and no injuries to any person, and no damage to any property. Upon shutting down the aircraft engine, I discovered that the magnetic switch was turned to the left magnetic. I think I left the switch on left magnetic during the runup because I was distraction by a new procedure. I leaned the engine for altitude on this runup, which is something I had never done on any previous runup.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA UNABLE TO CLB RETURNS, LANDS ON CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: WITH THE PLANE LOADED TO THE CERTIFICATED GROSS WT, I TOOK OFF FROM RWY 30 IN CHEYENNE. AFTER APPLYING FULL THROTTLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TKOF ROLL, I VERIFIED THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE AS SHOWING THE EXPECTED 22 INCHES. THE RPM WAS 2300 INSTEAD OF THE EXPECTED 2400, BUT IN A COUPLE SECONDS CAME UP TO 2400. ABOUT THE TIME I WAS OVER THE DEP END OF THE RWY, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A SHALLOW CLBOUT AT VX. SOON THE CLB DETERIORATED FURTHER. I CHKED THE THROTTLE, PROP AND MIXTURE, TURNED TO MY R TOWARD THE LOWEST TERRAIN, AND CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS HAVING TROUBLE CLBING. THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 12. I HAD CLBED WHAT I ESTIMATE TO BE ABOUT 400 FT, BUT NOW WAS LOSING ALT, AND ALL AROUND ME AND UNDER ME WAS RESIDENTIAL CHEYENNE. MY TURN TOWARD LOWEST TERRAIN WAS BRINGING ME ONTO THE CENTERLINE OF RWY 16, AND I WAS IN GOOD POS TO LAND ON RWY 16. DUE TO THE INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ALT I FELT THAT I WOULD DSND INTO THE HOUSES BEFORE BEING ABLE TO MAKE IT TO ANY OTHER RWY, SO I LANDED ON RWY 16 WHICH APPARENTLY WAS CLOSED DUE TO WORK BEING DONE ON THE INTERSECTING RWY 8/26. RWY 16 WAS IN PERFECTLY GOOD SHAPE AND THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS ON IT EXCEPT FOR SAME WIDELY SPACED FLAGS ABOUT 1 1/2 FT HIGH PLACED ACROSS THE RWY AT ITS INTXN WITH RWY 8/26. IT WAS A NORMAL, FULLY CTLED LNDG AND I STOPPED WELL SHORT OF THE FLAGS, AND THEN EASILY TAXIED BTWN THEM TO PARKING. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, AND NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSON, AND NO DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY. UPON SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT ENG, I DISCOVERED THAT THE MAG SWITCH WAS TURNED TO THE L MAG. I THINK I L THE SWITCH ON L MAG DURING THE RUNUP BECAUSE I WAS DISTR BY A NEW PROC. I LEANED THE ENG FOR ALT ON THIS RUNUP, WHICH IS SOMETHING I HAD NEVER DONE ON ANY PREVIOUS RUNUP.

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.