AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - August 2019 - 105

CERTIFIED PART 23 AIRCRAFT
assistance; this of course put my wife on
high alert.
I advised approach that we were having
some issues with the power and I was trying
to troubleshoot, so the controller gave me a
block altitude of 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet and
asked me to contact Chicago Center.
Soon after I changed frequency, the
engine began to run rough, I turned carb
heat full on and this seem to help, but when
I turned it off the engine just got worse so
I left it on. This was my first real emergency-above a cloud deck, with no visible
ground below me and a rough-running
engine. I declared an emergency and asked
Chicago Center for the closest airport; I
also turned off the autopilot to hand-fly
the airplane. Center said Dubuque was 25
miles in front and Madison about the same
distance, so I advised them that I wanted
to return to Madison. As soon as I began
to turn, the engine became worse; I asked
Center if there were other airports closer,
as I did not believe I was going to be able
to make Dubuque or Madison. The controller pointed out the airport of Mineral Point
at my nine o'clock and 10 miles. I immediately turned toward the airport and looked
up the approach plate.
The engine began to surge, and I realized
that the propeller governor was acting up as
it was trying to maintain 2,200 rpm. I thought
maybe we were losing oil, as well. I lowered
the rpm, and this seemed to help with the
surging. Frankly, I was not paying any attention to any of the engine instruments as my
attention was focused on trying to get us on
the ground safely and though the overcast.
I was able to maintain about 7,500
feet. The controller said something about
descend and maintain 3,000 feet, but I told
the controller I was going to maintain my
current altitude until I was over the airport.
My main concern was being in the clouds
for a long time and then having to deal with
ice in addition to the rough-running engine.
When I pulled out the plates for the
airport, the first one that popped up was
the RNAV for Runway 4, in direct line to
where I was coming from. Since I have
georeferenced approach plates from
ForeFlight, I was able to get a situational
awareness, and when I was over the airport I decided that since I had some power
aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 105

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AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - August 2019
