What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman stated in part, on September 29th I was flying from kleb back to my home base of kvys in my Grumman tbm avenger N81865. At approximately 2:00 pm we were comfortably cruising at 6500 MSL when the manifold pressure suddenly and rapidly dropped from our standard cruise power setting of 30 in hg to 20 in hg. The engine continued to run smoothly and normally at 20 in hg but at this power we cannot hold altitude. After a few brief unsuccessful attempts at remedying the problem I declared an emergency and asked for vectors to the nearest airport. Kbfd was the nearest airport approximately 15 NM to the se. We turned toward the airport and I turned up the RPM from our cruise setting of 2000 to 2400 in order to make more power at the limited manifold pressure we had available. This allowed us to decrease our rate of decent and comfortably make the airport.
Upon landing we began to troubleshoot the problem believing it to be a supercharger issue.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN STATED IN PART, ON SEPTEMBER 29TH I WAS FLYING FROM KLEB BACK TO MY HOME BASE OF KVYS IN MY GRUMMAN TBM AVENGER N81865. AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00 PM WE WERE COMFORTABLY CRUISING AT 6500 MSL WHEN THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE SUDDENLY AND RAPIDLY DROPPED FROM OUR STANDARD CRUISE POWER SETTING OF 30 IN HG TO 20 IN HG. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN SMOOTHLY AND NORMALLY AT 20 IN HG BUT AT THIS POWER WE CANNOT HOLD ALTITUDE. AFTER A FEW BRIEF UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT REMEDYING THE PROBLEM I DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. KBFD WAS THE NEAREST AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 15 NM TO THE SE. WE TURNED TOWARD THE AIRPORT AND I TURNED UP THE RPM FROM OUR CRUISE SETTING OF 2000 TO 2400 IN ORDER TO MAKE MORE POWER AT THE LIMITED MANIFOLD PRESSURE WE HAD AVAILABLE. THIS ALLOWED US TO DECREASE OUR RATE OF DECENT AND COMFORTABLY MAKE THE AIRPORT.
UPON LANDING WE BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM BELIEVING IT TO BE A SUPERCHARGER ISSUE.
Other reports on N81865 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.