Narrative:

I departed watertown, ny, for a part 91 direct flight to albany, ny, in a PA31. I had 1 passenger onboard for this flight. Approximately 25 mi from albany, I was instructed by the approach controller to descend from 7000 ft to 5000 ft and expect vectors for the visual approach to runway 19. I acknowledged. During the descent, the controller instructed me to turn left to 110 degrees and I acknowledged. As I was turning toward the assigned heading, I noticed some engine fluctuation in the left engine. I put my attention toward this and asked the controller for priority handling. He acknowledged and I received a vector toward the airport. He asked if I had the engine secured and I said 'no.' I was on the 8 mi final when suddenly the engine seemed to be acting normal. The controller then handed me off to the tower. As I checked in with the tower, the tower controller asked me how much fuel and how many souls onboard. I informed him, then told him that I had not declared an emergency. While on short final, I noticed a mass of fire trucks on the ramp. I parked the airplane and my passenger went on his way. I then called my mechanic in art. I informed him what had happened and he seemed to think that the waste gate stuck, then freed itself. He told me to let it cool, then go out and do a regular run-up, then a full power run-up, 1 engine at a time. I acknowledged and told him I would let him know the results. As I was speaking to my mechanic, I noticed 2 men standing nearby. When I was finished on the phone, they idented themselves as FAA inspectors and wanted to know what happened. I told them an emergency had not been declared by me. They told me that priority handling was the same thing. They then conducted a ramp check on me. After the ramp check, I told them what had occurred. They then suggested a mechanic if I thought there was a problem. One of the inspectors told me to phone him and let him know the outcome. After completing the run-up, everything was normal. I could not find anything that would make the plane unairworthy. After that, I called my mechanic back and he said he would take a look at it in the morning. I departed albany at XA00, the flight back was normal with no abnormalities. When I arrived in art, I phoned the inspector and left a message on his voice-mail that everything was normal. On the following day, I spoke to the inspector and he implied that I should not have left without a mechanic checking the plane. I told him if I thought the plane was unairworthy I would not have left. Also, my mechanic did not tell me the plane was unsafe to fly. I am not sure where the FAA is going with this but if all pilots have to go through this for the mere asking of priority handling, then I, for one, will be reluctant to declare an emergency unless it is a life of death situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 PLT REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING BECAUSE OF AN ENG PROB.

Narrative: I DEPARTED WATERTOWN, NY, FOR A PART 91 DIRECT FLT TO ALBANY, NY, IN A PA31. I HAD 1 PAX ONBOARD FOR THIS FLT. APPROX 25 MI FROM ALBANY, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE APCH CTLR TO DSND FROM 7000 FT TO 5000 FT AND EXPECT VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19. I ACKNOWLEDGED. DURING THE DSCNT, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN L TO 110 DEGS AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I WAS TURNING TOWARD THE ASSIGNED HEADING, I NOTICED SOME ENG FLUCTUATION IN THE L ENG. I PUT MY ATTN TOWARD THIS AND ASKED THE CTLR FOR PRIORITY HANDLING. HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND I RECEIVED A VECTOR TOWARD THE ARPT. HE ASKED IF I HAD THE ENG SECURED AND I SAID 'NO.' I WAS ON THE 8 MI FINAL WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENG SEEMED TO BE ACTING NORMAL. THE CTLR THEN HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR. AS I CHKED IN WITH THE TWR, THE TWR CTLR ASKED ME HOW MUCH FUEL AND HOW MANY SOULS ONBOARD. I INFORMED HIM, THEN TOLD HIM THAT I HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, I NOTICED A MASS OF FIRE TRUCKS ON THE RAMP. I PARKED THE AIRPLANE AND MY PAX WENT ON HIS WAY. I THEN CALLED MY MECH IN ART. I INFORMED HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE SEEMED TO THINK THAT THE WASTE GATE STUCK, THEN FREED ITSELF. HE TOLD ME TO LET IT COOL, THEN GO OUT AND DO A REGULAR RUN-UP, THEN A FULL PWR RUN-UP, 1 ENG AT A TIME. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LET HIM KNOW THE RESULTS. AS I WAS SPEAKING TO MY MECH, I NOTICED 2 MEN STANDING NEARBY. WHEN I WAS FINISHED ON THE PHONE, THEY IDENTED THEMSELVES AS FAA INSPECTORS AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I TOLD THEM AN EMER HAD NOT BEEN DECLARED BY ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT PRIORITY HANDLING WAS THE SAME THING. THEY THEN CONDUCTED A RAMP CHK ON ME. AFTER THE RAMP CHK, I TOLD THEM WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THEY THEN SUGGESTED A MECH IF I THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROB. ONE OF THE INSPECTORS TOLD ME TO PHONE HIM AND LET HIM KNOW THE OUTCOME. AFTER COMPLETING THE RUN-UP, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE THE PLANE UNAIRWORTHY. AFTER THAT, I CALLED MY MECH BACK AND HE SAID HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT IN THE MORNING. I DEPARTED ALBANY AT XA00, THE FLT BACK WAS NORMAL WITH NO ABNORMALITIES. WHEN I ARRIVED IN ART, I PHONED THE INSPECTOR AND LEFT A MESSAGE ON HIS VOICE-MAIL THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, I SPOKE TO THE INSPECTOR AND HE IMPLIED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE LEFT WITHOUT A MECH CHKING THE PLANE. I TOLD HIM IF I THOUGHT THE PLANE WAS UNAIRWORTHY I WOULD NOT HAVE LEFT. ALSO, MY MECH DID NOT TELL ME THE PLANE WAS UNSAFE TO FLY. I AM NOT SURE WHERE THE FAA IS GOING WITH THIS BUT IF ALL PLTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS FOR THE MERE ASKING OF PRIORITY HANDLING, THEN I, FOR ONE, WILL BE RELUCTANT TO DECLARE AN EMER UNLESS IT IS A LIFE OF DEATH SIT.

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.