Narrative:

On feb/wed/99, I refueled my aircraft, a PA28-201T, at shawnee, ok, (snl). Both tanks were filled. I departed snl for houston southwest airport (axh). 5 mi south of snl, I contacted ZFW by radio, was advised I was in radar contact, and was issued my IFR clearance. I climbed to 7000 ft MSL. Approximately 35 NM south of cqy, I was instructed by ZFW to descend and maintain 6000 ft. I had previously been advised of VFR traffic at my 5 O'clock position, at an unverified altitude of 7000-7500 ft, that was overtaking me. I commenced my descent, and was also instructed to switch from my current frequency of 135.25 to contact ZHU on 134.8. Prior to establishing contact with ZHU, about 38 NM south of cqy, an altitude of between 7000 ft to 6000 ft, the aircraft engine began to loose power, with manifold pressure dropping from 34.8 inches to 25 inches. I immediately turned towards the teague, texas airport (68F), which was about 11 mi downwind at an approximately heading of 315 degrees. I then reestablished contact with ZFW on frequency 135.25. The controller asked if I had been unable to contact ZHU, and I responded that I had a rough running engine and was immediately diverting to the teague airport. Upon verifying that I had the teague airport in sight, the controller issued me a visual approach clearance and provided me with the elevation and runway orientation for teague. When I wasn't able to obtain cruise power after switching fuel tanks and after setting the mixture to full rich, throttle at maximum power position, and propeller at maximum RPM setting, I advised the controller to consider my situation an emergency situation. The controller asked me to relay my situation upon landing to any other aircraft on the frequency and approved a change to the teague advisory frequency of 122.9. Upon a successful landing and taxi to the ramp at teague, I established radio contact with another aircraft on the frequency, whose identify I did not record. The other aircraft relayed to the center controller that I had successfully made a precautionary landing safely. The handling of my situation by ATC was all anyone could have expected, was professional and exceptional. Replaced the #3 cylinder on jul/xx/98, within the time frame specified by AD98-19-02. On feb/wed/99, an inspection of the aircraft revealed that an exhaust valve on the #5 cylinder had shattered, damaging the cylinder and piston, and passing valve fragments through and damaging the turbocharger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 ENG FAIL ZFW.

Narrative: ON FEB/WED/99, I REFUELED MY ACFT, A PA28-201T, AT SHAWNEE, OK, (SNL). BOTH TANKS WERE FILLED. I DEPARTED SNL FOR HOUSTON SOUTHWEST ARPT (AXH). 5 MI S OF SNL, I CONTACTED ZFW BY RADIO, WAS ADVISED I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT, AND WAS ISSUED MY IFR CLRNC. I CLBED TO 7000 FT MSL. APPROX 35 NM S OF CQY, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY ZFW TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT. I HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ADVISED OF VFR TFC AT MY 5 O'CLOCK POS, AT AN UNVERIFIED ALT OF 7000-7500 FT, THAT WAS OVERTAKING ME. I COMMENCED MY DSCNT, AND WAS ALSO INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH FROM MY CURRENT FREQ OF 135.25 TO CONTACT ZHU ON 134.8. PRIOR TO ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH ZHU, ABOUT 38 NM S OF CQY, AN ALT OF BTWN 7000 FT TO 6000 FT, THE ACFT ENG BEGAN TO LOOSE PWR, WITH MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROPPING FROM 34.8 INCHES TO 25 INCHES. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARDS THE TEAGUE, TEXAS ARPT (68F), WHICH WAS ABOUT 11 MI DOWNWIND AT AN APPROX HDG OF 315 DEGS. I THEN REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ZFW ON FREQ 135.25. THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO CONTACT ZHU, AND I RESPONDED THAT I HAD A ROUGH RUNNING ENG AND WAS IMMEDIATELY DIVERTING TO THE TEAGUE ARPT. UPON VERIFYING THAT I HAD THE TEAGUE ARPT IN SIGHT, THE CTLR ISSUED ME A VISUAL APCH CLRNC AND PROVIDED ME WITH THE ELEVATION AND RWY ORIENTATION FOR TEAGUE. WHEN I WASN'T ABLE TO OBTAIN CRUISE PWR AFTER SWITCHING FUEL TANKS AND AFTER SETTING THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, THROTTLE AT MAX PWR POS, AND PROP AT MAX RPM SETTING, I ADVISED THE CTLR TO CONSIDER MY SIT AN EMER SIT. THE CTLR ASKED ME TO RELAY MY SIT UPON LNDG TO ANY OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ AND APPROVED A CHANGE TO THE TEAGUE ADVISORY FREQ OF 122.9. UPON A SUCCESSFUL LNDG AND TAXI TO THE RAMP AT TEAGUE, I ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ, WHOSE IDENT I DID NOT RECORD. THE OTHER ACFT RELAYED TO THE CTR CTLR THAT I HAD SUCCESSFULLY MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG SAFELY. THE HANDLING OF MY SIT BY ATC WAS ALL ANYONE COULD HAVE EXPECTED, WAS PROFESSIONAL AND EXCEPTIONAL. REPLACED THE #3 CYLINDER ON JUL/XX/98, WITHIN THE TIME FRAME SPECIFIED BY AD98-19-02. ON FEB/WED/99, AN INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT AN EXHAUST VALVE ON THE #5 CYLINDER HAD SHATTERED, DAMAGING THE CYLINDER AND PISTON, AND PASSING VALVE FRAGMENTS THROUGH AND DAMAGING THE TURBOCHARGER.

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.