Narrative:

Pleasure flight planned -- jax international to pgd (punta gorda, fl) in an small aircraft owned by my superior, mr. X. Upon my arriving late, he stated he had preflted the airplane (he was over 5000 hours and probably 1000 in this plane) and it was ready to go. Upon starting to board, he asked if I would like to fly it down and he would fly it back. (Now the PIC shifted to me. At that moment I violated far 91.7 by not reinspecting the plane as required.) picture me getting off the wing and reinspecting the plane after my superior stated he had inspected his plane and it was airworthy. After a thorough cockpit check, magneto check, and preflight check, I obtained permission to execute takeoff. Shortly prior to rotation I glanced at the airspeed indicator and asked the owner what the ____ had happened to it. An anguished cry revealed he had forgotten to remove the pitot cover. About that time, we entered total IMC. It took several seconds to sort out the situation -- no airspeed indicator, vsi, or altimeter, but had a reliable attitude indicator, directional gyroscope, bank and turn indicator, and a feel of the yoke which often tells a great deal. I contacted the tower, explained my problem and was vectored back to the ILS for wry 13. Several seconds later, the engine began running rough, very rough. It was then I declared an emergency and asked for the quickest vectors to the airport and thankfully received the tower's complete cooperation and compliance to my request. RPM was falling fast. The altimeter indicated 1700 ft MSL (probably incorrect but in the ball park) and the vsi showed a descent rate of 400 FPM (also probably a ball park figure), and the tower stating we were 6 mi from the airport. A quick calculation revealed those figures didn't add up to a very successful landing and it was then I agreed for the tower to dispatch the fire equipment. The thought passed my mind that they would have to meet me in the woods to do any good. I broke out of the overcast at 700 ft and runway 13 was directly in front of me, but 1-2 mi in the distance. I did not lower the gear, set flaps, or touch the throttle in order to reduce drag and not aggravate the engine. The throttle was now down to 3/4 but the RPM showed 1200 with tremendous vibration. When I knew the threshold was within reach, the wheels were dropped and flaps set. As I suspected, when I reduced power the engine quit. A landing was made without incident and I was even able to roll off the active onto a taxiway. After breathing a great deal of fresh air and answering numerous questions, the plane was towed to the FBO. As of this writing, the only information concerning the engine failure is the fact that turning the propeller by hand indicated no compression in 2 of the 4 cylinders. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the mechanic that is rebuilding the engine says that the engine has been run lean for a long time. This caused 1 valve to fail (break) and foul another valve in the open position. The turbo selector may have been left in the 'on' position for a long time which may have contributed to the engine failure. The owner of the aircraft did not take over the aircraft as he was rather nervous and the reporting pilot was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT TOOK OFF WITH HIS PITOT TUBE COVERED INTO IMC. HE THEN HAD AN ENG FAILURE AND RETURNED AND LANDED.

Narrative: PLEASURE FLT PLANNED -- JAX INTL TO PGD (PUNTA GORDA, FL) IN AN SMA OWNED BY MY SUPERIOR, MR. X. UPON MY ARRIVING LATE, HE STATED HE HAD PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE (HE WAS OVER 5000 HRS AND PROBABLY 1000 IN THIS PLANE) AND IT WAS READY TO GO. UPON STARTING TO BOARD, HE ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO FLY IT DOWN AND HE WOULD FLY IT BACK. (NOW THE PIC SHIFTED TO ME. AT THAT MOMENT I VIOLATED FAR 91.7 BY NOT REINSPECTING THE PLANE AS REQUIRED.) PICTURE ME GETTING OFF THE WING AND REINSPECTING THE PLANE AFTER MY SUPERIOR STATED HE HAD INSPECTED HIS PLANE AND IT WAS AIRWORTHY. AFTER A THOROUGH COCKPIT CHK, MAGNETO CHK, AND PREFLT CHK, I OBTAINED PERMISSION TO EXECUTE TKOF. SHORTLY PRIOR TO ROTATION I GLANCED AT THE AIRSPD INDICATOR AND ASKED THE OWNER WHAT THE ____ HAD HAPPENED TO IT. AN ANGUISHED CRY REVEALED HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO REMOVE THE PITOT COVER. ABOUT THAT TIME, WE ENTERED TOTAL IMC. IT TOOK SEVERAL SECONDS TO SORT OUT THE SIT -- NO AIRSPD INDICATOR, VSI, OR ALTIMETER, BUT HAD A RELIABLE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE, BANK AND TURN INDICATOR, AND A FEEL OF THE YOKE WHICH OFTEN TELLS A GREAT DEAL. I CONTACTED THE TWR, EXPLAINED MY PROB AND WAS VECTORED BACK TO THE ILS FOR WRY 13. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, VERY ROUGH. IT WAS THEN I DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED FOR THE QUICKEST VECTORS TO THE ARPT AND THANKFULLY RECEIVED THE TWR'S COMPLETE COOPERATION AND COMPLIANCE TO MY REQUEST. RPM WAS FALLING FAST. THE ALTIMETER INDICATED 1700 FT MSL (PROBABLY INCORRECT BUT IN THE BALL PARK) AND THE VSI SHOWED A DSCNT RATE OF 400 FPM (ALSO PROBABLY A BALL PARK FIGURE), AND THE TWR STATING WE WERE 6 MI FROM THE ARPT. A QUICK CALCULATION REVEALED THOSE FIGURES DIDN'T ADD UP TO A VERY SUCCESSFUL LNDG AND IT WAS THEN I AGREED FOR THE TWR TO DISPATCH THE FIRE EQUIP. THE THOUGHT PASSED MY MIND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO MEET ME IN THE WOODS TO DO ANY GOOD. I BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST AT 700 FT AND RWY 13 WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, BUT 1-2 MI IN THE DISTANCE. I DID NOT LOWER THE GEAR, SET FLAPS, OR TOUCH THE THROTTLE IN ORDER TO REDUCE DRAG AND NOT AGGRAVATE THE ENG. THE THROTTLE WAS NOW DOWN TO 3/4 BUT THE RPM SHOWED 1200 WITH TREMENDOUS VIBRATION. WHEN I KNEW THE THRESHOLD WAS WITHIN REACH, THE WHEELS WERE DROPPED AND FLAPS SET. AS I SUSPECTED, WHEN I REDUCED PWR THE ENG QUIT. A LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND I WAS EVEN ABLE TO ROLL OFF THE ACTIVE ONTO A TXWY. AFTER BREATHING A GREAT DEAL OF FRESH AIR AND ANSWERING NUMEROUS QUESTIONS, THE PLANE WAS TOWED TO THE FBO. AS OF THIS WRITING, THE ONLY INFO CONCERNING THE ENG FAILURE IS THE FACT THAT TURNING THE PROP BY HAND INDICATED NO COMPRESSION IN 2 OF THE 4 CYLINDERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE MECH THAT IS REBUILDING THE ENG SAYS THAT THE ENG HAS BEEN RUN LEAN FOR A LONG TIME. THIS CAUSED 1 VALVE TO FAIL (BREAK) AND FOUL ANOTHER VALVE IN THE OPEN POS. THE TURBO SELECTOR MAY HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE 'ON' POS FOR A LONG TIME WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENG FAILURE. THE OWNER OF THE ACFT DID NOT TAKE OVER THE ACFT AS HE WAS RATHER NERVOUS AND THE RPTING PLT WAS NOT.

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.