Narrative:

I took off with 1 passenger from ZZZ and was en route to ZZZ1. After takeoff I climbed to 10500 ft MSL. Upon reaching my desired altitude I reduced manifold pressure to 30 inches and reduced the RPM's to 2400 for cruise flight. All other instruments read normal. I had over 4 hours of fuel on board. Within mins of leveloff; I lost manifold pressure very quickly and noticed the engine RPM winding down. I immediately switched tanks; advanced the mixture and turned the booster pump on; all with no noticeable change in power. The engine seemed to be running at just above idle but would only increase power a minimal amount as the throttle was pulled back and advanced forward. I began to lose altitude at about 200 FPM. The engine seemed to be producing some power but not enough to maintain altitude. I had a VFR flight following with approach at the time and declared an emergency. I had announced that I lost manifold pressure and needed to make an immediate landing. I requested ZZZ2. Approach advised of several airports closer in the vicinity and I reiterated ZZZ2 as the desired destination due to my altitude at that time. ZZZ2 was about 28 mi out. I was cleared to ZZZ2. Shortly thereafter; the engine began to shudder and all power was lost. I established best glide and began to descend at about 700 FPM. I requested a diversion to ZZZ3 as it was closer and informed approach that this was going to be a dead stick landing. Approach cleared us direct ZZZ3. We were handed off to the tower and were cleared to land. Crash fire rescue equipment was on scene awaiting our arrival. Fortunately; we were able to land without incident; albeit; without power. I was able to coast to a stop off of the runway and onto the taxiway. We were met by crash fire rescue equipment. We were then towed off to a maintenance facility. I checked in the FARS and could not find anywhere that any reporting or action post incident was necessary; thus no other action has been taken at this time. The engine problem has not been diagnosed as of this date. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: postflt examination revealed that a copper tube running from the intake manifold to the turbocharger had broken; causing the engine to quit running. The aircraft had recently had its annual inspection with no discrepancies noted. After repair the engine ran normally except that one cylinder was found to have low compression. Burned valves were found to be the culprit in this cylinder and were replaced along with the cylinder and piston. After all repairs the engine ran well and no longer exhibited a tendency to foul plugs during extended taxies. It is suspected that the copper tube may have been cracked and leaking for some time prior to its ultimate failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT REPORTS ENGINE FAILURE AT 10500 FT AND SUCCESSFUL DEAD STICK LANDING AT NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF WITH 1 PAX FROM ZZZ AND WAS ENRTE TO ZZZ1. AFTER TKOF I CLBED TO 10500 FT MSL. UPON REACHING MY DESIRED ALT I REDUCED MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO 30 INCHES AND REDUCED THE RPM'S TO 2400 FOR CRUISE FLT. ALL OTHER INSTS READ NORMAL. I HAD OVER 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. WITHIN MINS OF LEVELOFF; I LOST MANIFOLD PRESSURE VERY QUICKLY AND NOTICED THE ENG RPM WINDING DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TANKS; ADVANCED THE MIXTURE AND TURNED THE BOOSTER PUMP ON; ALL WITH NO NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN PWR. THE ENG SEEMED TO BE RUNNING AT JUST ABOVE IDLE BUT WOULD ONLY INCREASE PWR A MINIMAL AMOUNT AS THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED BACK AND ADVANCED FORWARD. I BEGAN TO LOSE ALT AT ABOUT 200 FPM. THE ENG SEEMED TO BE PRODUCING SOME PWR BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN ALT. I HAD A VFR FLT FOLLOWING WITH APCH AT THE TIME AND DECLARED AN EMER. I HAD ANNOUNCED THAT I LOST MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND NEEDED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. I REQUESTED ZZZ2. APCH ADVISED OF SEVERAL ARPTS CLOSER IN THE VICINITY AND I REITERATED ZZZ2 AS THE DESIRED DEST DUE TO MY ALT AT THAT TIME. ZZZ2 WAS ABOUT 28 MI OUT. I WAS CLRED TO ZZZ2. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE ENG BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND ALL PWR WAS LOST. I ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE AND BEGAN TO DSND AT ABOUT 700 FPM. I REQUESTED A DIVERSION TO ZZZ3 AS IT WAS CLOSER AND INFORMED APCH THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A DEAD STICK LNDG. APCH CLRED US DIRECT ZZZ3. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND. CFR WAS ON SCENE AWAITING OUR ARR. FORTUNATELY; WE WERE ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT; ALBEIT; WITHOUT PWR. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP OFF OF THE RWY AND ONTO THE TXWY. WE WERE MET BY CFR. WE WERE THEN TOWED OFF TO A MAINT FACILITY. I CHKED IN THE FARS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYWHERE THAT ANY RPTING OR ACTION POST INCIDENT WAS NECESSARY; THUS NO OTHER ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AT THIS TIME. THE ENG PROB HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AS OF THIS DATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: POSTFLT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT A COPPER TUBE RUNNING FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO THE TURBOCHARGER HAD BROKEN; CAUSING THE ENGINE TO QUIT RUNNING. THE ACFT HAD RECENTLY HAD ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. AFTER REPAIR THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY EXCEPT THAT ONE CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE LOW COMPRESSION. BURNED VALVES WERE FOUND TO BE THE CULPRIT IN THIS CYLINDER AND WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE CYLINDER AND PISTON. AFTER ALL REPAIRS THE ENGINE RAN WELL AND NO LONGER EXHIBITED A TENDENCY TO FOUL PLUGS DURING EXTENDED TAXIES. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE COPPER TUBE MAY HAVE BEEN CRACKED AND LEAKING FOR SOME TIME PRIOR TO ITS ULTIMATE FAILURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.