Narrative:

I had been noticing some power loss and had isolated the problem to a bad magneto. (On my previous stop I had the plugs and leads checked.) so I was on my way to charlotte to have the magneto work done, and was about 15 mi out when there was a noticeable RPM drop and rough engine. I was still getting barely over 2000 RPM at full throttle. I made the mistake of requesting some special handling hoping to expedite my landing, but more than that, the controller declared it an emergency. So the airplane did make it to the airport ok and into the maintenance hangar where I was pounced upon by 3 very efficient FAA personnel. As it turned out, my 2ND class medical had expired the previous month (which I renewed the next day), and I do not carry a wallet and in an oversight left my pilot license at home. Then I volunteered my maintenance logbooks and paperwork for inspection. Weight and balance paperwork was not in order, and fuel decals and magnetic compass card were not in real good shape and I had no operable ELT. So I was issued a temporary license and ferry permit after being grilled for 3 hours in a back room of the FAA building, to get the airplane back to home base. (Not before spending $1300 to replace the magnetos.) but it was lucky I did this at charlotte, so these other potential hazards could be called to my attention and corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS ROUGH ENG, CTLR DECLARED EMER. FAA RAMP INSPECTION FINDS MANY PROBS.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN NOTICING SOME PWR LOSS AND HAD ISOLATED THE PROB TO A BAD MAGNETO. (ON MY PREVIOUS STOP I HAD THE PLUGS AND LEADS CHKED.) SO I WAS ON MY WAY TO CHARLOTTE TO HAVE THE MAGNETO WORK DONE, AND WAS ABOUT 15 MI OUT WHEN THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE RPM DROP AND ROUGH ENG. I WAS STILL GETTING BARELY OVER 2000 RPM AT FULL THROTTLE. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF REQUESTING SOME SPECIAL HANDLING HOPING TO EXPEDITE MY LNDG, BUT MORE THAN THAT, THE CTLR DECLARED IT AN EMER. SO THE AIRPLANE DID MAKE IT TO THE ARPT OK AND INTO THE MAINT HANGAR WHERE I WAS POUNCED UPON BY 3 VERY EFFICIENT FAA PERSONNEL. AS IT TURNED OUT, MY 2ND CLASS MEDICAL HAD EXPIRED THE PREVIOUS MONTH (WHICH I RENEWED THE NEXT DAY), AND I DO NOT CARRY A WALLET AND IN AN OVERSIGHT LEFT MY PLT LICENSE AT HOME. THEN I VOLUNTEERED MY MAINT LOGBOOKS AND PAPERWORK FOR INSPECTION. WT AND BAL PAPERWORK WAS NOT IN ORDER, AND FUEL DECALS AND MAGNETIC COMPASS CARD WERE NOT IN REAL GOOD SHAPE AND I HAD NO OPERABLE ELT. SO I WAS ISSUED A TEMPORARY LICENSE AND FERRY PERMIT AFTER BEING GRILLED FOR 3 HRS IN A BACK ROOM OF THE FAA BUILDING, TO GET THE AIRPLANE BACK TO HOME BASE. (NOT BEFORE SPENDING $1300 TO REPLACE THE MAGNETOS.) BUT IT WAS LUCKY I DID THIS AT CHARLOTTE, SO THESE OTHER POTENTIAL HAZARDS COULD BE CALLED TO MY ATTN AND CORRECTED.

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.