Narrative:

We had taken off from bayport, ny (23N) and had turned east flying along the long island shoreline, below the floor of the class C airspace. At about 3 NM southeast of the airport, we experienced a significant drop in RPM and simultaneous drop in oil pressure below red line. We turned immediately toward the airport and climbed to 1000 ft, trading excess airspeed for altitude. The engine still produced enough power to maintain altitude. Had the engine quit at this time, we planned to ditch in the water along the shore or in a marsh bordering the shore. We invoked our authority/authorized as PIC in an in-flight emergency and headed inland toward the airport at 1000 ft, even though 1000 ft put us in the class C airspace above the bayport cutout. But 1000 ft also put us within gliding distance of the airport or the shore at all times. There was no place to land safely between the shore and the airport. To fly at a legal (and lower) altitude would have been reckless. The engine continued to produce partial power and we landed safely at bayport. We were squawking 1200, mode C. We did not contact ATC. It should be noted that the 700 ft floor of the class C airspace in the bayport cutout does not allow a safe transition altitude from the shore to bayport, should the engine quit. Supplemental information from acn 271384: the linear distance from the center of the airport (23N) to the south shore of long island is approximately 2.5 NM. Performing a straight-in landing to runway 36 places the aircraft at an altitude of 600 ft MSL at a distance of 2.5 NM from the runway. I suspect this is beyond the power off gliding range of most of the aircraft using 23N.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA HAD A PARTIAL ENG FAILURE.

Narrative: WE HAD TAKEN OFF FROM BAYPORT, NY (23N) AND HAD TURNED E FLYING ALONG THE LONG ISLAND SHORELINE, BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. AT ABOUT 3 NM SE OF THE ARPT, WE EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN RPM AND SIMULTANEOUS DROP IN OIL PRESSURE BELOW RED LINE. WE TURNED IMMEDIATELY TOWARD THE ARPT AND CLBED TO 1000 FT, TRADING EXCESS AIRSPD FOR ALT. THE ENG STILL PRODUCED ENOUGH PWR TO MAINTAIN ALT. HAD THE ENG QUIT AT THIS TIME, WE PLANNED TO DITCH IN THE WATER ALONG THE SHORE OR IN A MARSH BORDERING THE SHORE. WE INVOKED OUR AUTH AS PIC IN AN INFLT EMER AND HEADED INLAND TOWARD THE ARPT AT 1000 FT, EVEN THOUGH 1000 FT PUT US IN THE CLASS C AIRSPACE ABOVE THE BAYPORT CUTOUT. BUT 1000 FT ALSO PUT US WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF THE ARPT OR THE SHORE AT ALL TIMES. THERE WAS NO PLACE TO LAND SAFELY BTWN THE SHORE AND THE ARPT. TO FLY AT A LEGAL (AND LOWER) ALT WOULD HAVE BEEN RECKLESS. THE ENG CONTINUED TO PRODUCE PARTIAL PWR AND WE LANDED SAFELY AT BAYPORT. WE WERE SQUAWKING 1200, MODE C. WE DID NOT CONTACT ATC. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE 700 FT FLOOR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE IN THE BAYPORT CUTOUT DOES NOT ALLOW A SAFE TRANSITION ALT FROM THE SHORE TO BAYPORT, SHOULD THE ENG QUIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 271384: THE LINEAR DISTANCE FROM THE CTR OF THE ARPT (23N) TO THE S SHORE OF LONG ISLAND IS APPROX 2.5 NM. PERFORMING A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG TO RWY 36 PLACES THE ACFT AT AN ALT OF 600 FT MSL AT A DISTANCE OF 2.5 NM FROM THE RWY. I SUSPECT THIS IS BEYOND THE PWR OFF GLIDING RANGE OF MOST OF THE ACFT USING 23N.

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.