AN SMA FREIGHT CHARTER PLT HAD AN ENG PROBLEM AT NIGHT THAT REQUIRED HIM TO RETURN AND LAND.

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I HAD COMPLETED RUNUP AND CHKED THE ACFT PRIOR TO TAXIING FOR TKOF. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE NORMAL. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND STARTED THE ROLL. AFTER GETTING OFF THE GND; I NOTICED I WASN'T GETTING NEARLY THE PWR THAT I WOULD NORMALLY GET. ALL THE GAUGES CHKED OK EXCEPT FOR THE FUEL FLOW WHICH SHOWED MUCH LOWER THAN NORMAL INDICATIONS. I FELT THE SAFEST THING FOR ME TO DO WOULD BE CIRCLE AND LAND ON RWY 17 (THE CLOSEST RWY). I SAFELY LANDED AND TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP. (ONCE IN THE AIR; I TURNED ON THE LOW ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WHICH HELPED THE FUEL FLOW BUT NOT SIGNIFICANTLY). BACK AT THE RAMP; I CHKED THE FUEL SUMPS FOR WATER AND SEDIMENT. THAT PROVED TO SHOW TO BE NEGATIVE. THEN; I CHKED FOR ANY OBVIOUS FUEL LEAKS; WHICH I COULD NOT FIND. THEN I RAN THE ENG UP A FEW TIMES AND RAN IT FOR A GOOD WHILE. AFTER ALL THAT; EVERYTHING WAS RUNNING NORMALLY SO I DECIDED TO TRY ANOTHER TKOF. PRIOR TO TAXIING; I INDICATED TO GND THAT; IF I NOTICED ANYTHING ABNORMAL THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF ROOM TO ABORT THE TKOF; BUT I WAS CONFIDENT THESE WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. ANYWAY; I TOOK OFF AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL SO I CONTINUED THE TKOF AND FLT. NO PROBLEMS AROSE DURING THE FLT AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED AT BOWMAN FIELD AT LOUISVILLE; KY.