Narrative:

Approximately 40 mi outside the little rock arsa, I experienced some fuel surge, I then switched my fuel tanks from both to left tank because it was reading a little less than 1/2 tank opposed to the other tank which was reading less than 1/4 tank. I also enriched my mixture and turned my fuel pump on, not necessarily in that order. At that point, the airplane was running okay and I called little rock approach control and told them that I had the appropriate ATIS information and was inbound for landing. I received a squawk and told little rock approach to be aware that I was experiencing some fuel flow pressure problem or surging. They asked me to state my conditions. I started to reply when the engine cut out momentarily. They then suggested pine bluff, ar, which was off my 9 O'clock at 15 mi. My current altitude was 12500 ft. I then complied with radar vectors to the pine bluff airport. Upon reaching approximately 9000 ft, I entered IMC. They switched me to another frequency where I spoke to another controller. He suggested headings and I began to descend in spiraling descent. I broke out at approximately 2000 ft. Where I saw the airport 1/2 mi off my 9 O'clock position. I had power throughout the landing phases and touched down and rolled out to the end of the runway and taxied back to the terminal area. It seems to me, that the problem was compounded by excessive fuel burn or a fuel leakage or a fuel leakage in the fuel system because my en route cruise power was approximately 31 inches manifold pressure, 2400 rpms, mixture leaning above 8000 ft. The aircraft's problem initially started on both tanks. I initially went to the left tank because it indicated the most fuel. I then went to the right tank while I was inbound to pine bluff. Neither the left, right, or both seemed to solve the problem. Upon topping the fuel off at pine bluff, we observed an exaggerated amount of fuel usage. I was handed a telephone number from an employee at pine bluff and was told to call the supervisor at little rock approach. He asked me some questions about the flight as far as conditions, time of departure, estimated fuel burn, and fuel required to top the plane off at pine bluff. I then asked him what my actions should be as far as filing any reports to ATC and/or little rock approach. He said not to file any reports at this time, however, he told me that he would have to turn it over to the local FSDO because little rock had declared an emergency on my part. I was surprised to know that they had the capability of declaring an emergency on my behalf, when it was not my intention to declare an emergency.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMERCIAL PLT OF SMA ACFT EXPERIENCED AN ENG MALFUNCTION AT CRUISE ALT AND MADE AN EMER DSCNT AND LNDG.

Narrative: APPROX 40 MI OUTSIDE THE LITTLE ROCK ARSA, I EXPERIENCED SOME FUEL SURGE, I THEN SWITCHED MY FUEL TANKS FROM BOTH TO L TANK BECAUSE IT WAS READING A LITTLE LESS THAN 1/2 TANK OPPOSED TO THE OTHER TANK WHICH WAS READING LESS THAN 1/4 TANK. I ALSO ENRICHED MY MIXTURE AND TURNED MY FUEL PUMP ON, NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER. AT THAT POINT, THE AIRPLANE WAS RUNNING OKAY AND I CALLED LITTLE ROCK APCH CTL AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD THE APPROPRIATE ATIS INFO AND WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG. I RECEIVED A SQUAWK AND TOLD LITTLE ROCK APCH TO BE AWARE THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING SOME FUEL FLOW PRESSURE PROBLEM OR SURGING. THEY ASKED ME TO STATE MY CONDITIONS. I STARTED TO REPLY WHEN THE ENG CUT OUT MOMENTARILY. THEY THEN SUGGESTED PINE BLUFF, AR, WHICH WAS OFF MY 9 O'CLOCK AT 15 MI. MY CURRENT ALT WAS 12500 FT. I THEN COMPLIED WITH RADAR VECTORS TO THE PINE BLUFF ARPT. UPON REACHING APPROX 9000 FT, I ENTERED IMC. THEY SWITCHED ME TO ANOTHER FREQ WHERE I SPOKE TO ANOTHER CTLR. HE SUGGESTED HDGS AND I BEGAN TO DSND IN SPIRALING DSCNT. I BROKE OUT AT APPROX 2000 FT. WHERE I SAW THE ARPT 1/2 MI OFF MY 9 O'CLOCK POS. I HAD PWR THROUGHOUT THE LNDG PHASES AND TOUCHED DOWN AND ROLLED OUT TO THE END OF THE RWY AND TAXIED BACK TO THE TERMINAL AREA. IT SEEMS TO ME, THAT THE PROBLEM WAS COMPOUNDED BY EXCESSIVE FUEL BURN OR A FUEL LEAKAGE OR A FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE FUEL SYS BECAUSE MY ENRTE CRUISE PWR WAS APPROX 31 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE, 2400 RPMS, MIXTURE LEANING ABOVE 8000 FT. THE ACFT'S PROBLEM INITIALLY STARTED ON BOTH TANKS. I INITIALLY WENT TO THE L TANK BECAUSE IT INDICATED THE MOST FUEL. I THEN WENT TO THE R TANK WHILE I WAS INBOUND TO PINE BLUFF. NEITHER THE L, R, OR BOTH SEEMED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. UPON TOPPING THE FUEL OFF AT PINE BLUFF, WE OBSERVED AN EXAGGERATED AMOUNT OF FUEL USAGE. I WAS HANDED A TELEPHONE NUMBER FROM AN EMPLOYEE AT PINE BLUFF AND WAS TOLD TO CALL THE SUPVR AT LITTLE ROCK APCH. HE ASKED ME SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FLT AS FAR AS CONDITIONS, TIME OF DEP, ESTIMATED FUEL BURN, AND FUEL REQUIRED TO TOP THE PLANE OFF AT PINE BLUFF. I THEN ASKED HIM WHAT MY ACTIONS SHOULD BE AS FAR AS FILING ANY RPTS TO ATC AND/OR LITTLE ROCK APCH. HE SAID NOT TO FILE ANY RPTS AT THIS TIME, HOWEVER, HE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO TURN IT OVER TO THE LCL FSDO BECAUSE LITTLE ROCK HAD DECLARED AN EMER ON MY PART. I WAS SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT THEY HAD THE CAPABILITY OF DECLARING AN EMER ON MY BEHALF, WHEN IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO DECLARE AN EMER.

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.