Narrative:

I dropped my angel flight patient at san jose airport, refueled and upon leaving was instructed to contact departure. I was rusty on that procedure and had to be prompted. Ground then approved my taxi to runway 29. To keep my speed down I twice closed my throttle and twice my engine quit. I had to turn off my avionics twice before starting my engine. The controller was irritated with me because I had missed communications and had blocked the taxiway. I was flying a borrowed plane for this trip and I recalled that the primary owner said she had the carburetor set very lean to avoid the plugs fouling. This was obviously causing the engine to quit when the throttle was retarded completely. I proceeded to the runway. Everything had checked out on runup. Just prior to turning onto the runway entrance, I retarded the throttle and the engine began to stop. To avoid blocking the runway I pulled into the grass off the end of runway 29. The engine kept running and I tried to explain my actions to the controller, and told him I was ready to depart. The controller did question my decision to depart. I did not feel that it was appropriate to engage in a detailed explanation. I assured him I was competent and that the plane was airworthy and was given permission to depart. I pride myself on my abilities as a pilot but first I had failed in communicating with departure, the engine quit twice and I blocked the runway. Additionally, ground control was upset with me and, being in a strange airport at night, all I wanted to do was get into the air and away from what I felt was the ridicule of the controllers. I failed to remember that I was PIC. I should have taxied back to the ramp and parked, but flew to my home base because I trust my ability in the air, if not on the ground. I will be spending 2 hours with an instructor reviewing communications procedure. The plane owner and the mechanic charged with maintaining her plane have been made aware of the above problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ENG IDLE PROB, ENG QUITS.

Narrative: I DROPPED MY ANGEL FLT PATIENT AT SAN JOSE ARPT, REFUELED AND UPON LEAVING WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP. I WAS RUSTY ON THAT PROC AND HAD TO BE PROMPTED. GND THEN APPROVED MY TAXI TO RWY 29. TO KEEP MY SPD DOWN I TWICE CLOSED MY THROTTLE AND TWICE MY ENG QUIT. I HAD TO TURN OFF MY AVIONICS TWICE BEFORE STARTING MY ENG. THE CTLR WAS IRRITATED WITH ME BECAUSE I HAD MISSED COMS AND HAD BLOCKED THE TXWY. I WAS FLYING A BORROWED PLANE FOR THIS TRIP AND I RECALLED THAT THE PRIMARY OWNER SAID SHE HAD THE CARB SET VERY LEAN TO AVOID THE PLUGS FOULING. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY CAUSING THE ENG TO QUIT WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS RETARDED COMPLETELY. I PROCEEDED TO THE RWY. EVERYTHING HAD CHKED OUT ON RUNUP. JUST PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO THE RWY ENTRANCE, I RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND THE ENG BEGAN TO STOP. TO AVOID BLOCKING THE RWY I PULLED INTO THE GRASS OFF THE END OF RWY 29. THE ENG KEPT RUNNING AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS TO THE CTLR, AND TOLD HIM I WAS READY TO DEPART. THE CTLR DID QUESTION MY DECISION TO DEPART. I DID NOT FEEL THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO ENGAGE IN A DETAILED EXPLANATION. I ASSURED HIM I WAS COMPETENT AND THAT THE PLANE WAS AIRWORTHY AND WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO DEPART. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY ABILITIES AS A PLT BUT FIRST I HAD FAILED IN COMMUNICATING WITH DEP, THE ENG QUIT TWICE AND I BLOCKED THE RWY. ADDITIONALLY, GND CTL WAS UPSET WITH ME AND, BEING IN A STRANGE ARPT AT NIGHT, ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS GET INTO THE AIR AND AWAY FROM WHAT I FELT WAS THE RIDICULE OF THE CTLRS. I FAILED TO REMEMBER THAT I WAS PIC. I SHOULD HAVE TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP AND PARKED, BUT FLEW TO MY HOME BASE BECAUSE I TRUST MY ABILITY IN THE AIR, IF NOT ON THE GND. I WILL BE SPENDING 2 HRS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR REVIEWING COMS PROC. THE PLANE OWNER AND THE MECH CHARGED WITH MAINTAINING HER PLANE HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE ABOVE PROB.

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.