A GA PLT MODIFIED HIS ACFT SO HE COULD FLY IT WITHOUT THE IGNITION KEY AND; IN DOING SO; CAUSED IT TO BE UNRELIABLE RESULTING IN AN EMER LNDG; DIFFICULTIES WITH CUSTOMS; DELAYS; AND FINALLY A CORRECTIVE ELECTRICAL FIX.

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I HAD LEFT MY ACFT AT BOUNDARY BAY BRITISH COLUMBIA BECAUSE OF BAD WX AND A FAULTY XPONDER WHICH NEGATED MY RETURNING IFR TO MY HOME BASE; BEND; OR. ON MAR/THU/96 I RETURNED TO BOUNDARY BAY TO RETRIEVE MY ACFT. AFTER PREFLTING THE ACFT; I DISCOVERED THAT THE KEY I HAD RETURNED WITH DID NOT FIT THE IGNITION SWITCH OF THE ACFT. I THEN REMOVED THE P LEADS FROM THE MAGNETOS SO THAT THE MAGNETOS WOULD BE HOT. I REMOVED THE LEADS AT THE MAGNETOS INSTEAD OF AT THE SWITCH SO THERE WOULD BE NO CHANCE OF THEM TOUCHING A GNDED SURFACE AND TURNING OFF THE MAGNETOS. AFTER DOING A FULL PWR RUNUP; I DEPARTED BOUNDARY BAY ARPT. AT APPROX XA00 HRS; I HAD FILED A VFR FLT PLAN TO PDX AND HAD CALLED CUSTOMS AT PDX TO TELL THEM THAT I WOULD BE ARRIVING THERE AND WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE THE REQUIRED YRLY $25 STICKER (REQUIRED OFF ALL AMERICANS WHO WISH TO RETURN TO THEIR NATIVE COUNTRY BY PVT PLANE). I OPENED MY FLT PLAN WITH THE TWR AT BOUNDARY BAY. THE TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I PROCEEDED ON COURSE. AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINS INTO THE FLT THE ENG MISSED A FEW TIMES AND THEN RAN SMOOTH. A CHK OF THE GAUGES REVEALED NOTHING AMISS. A LITTLE LATER THE ENG MISSED AGAIN. I CALLED WHIDBEY ISLAND APCH AND TOLD THEM THAT I MIGHT BE HAVING ENG PROBS AND MAY HAVE TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. THEY INFORMED ME OF WHERE THE CLOSEST AIRSTRIP WAS. I WAS OVERWATER AT THIS TIME. THE ENG CONTINUED TO RUN SMOOTH AND I TOLD WHIDBEY APCH THAT I WAS CONTINUING ON. I CONTINUED TO CLB SO AS TO HAVE MAX ALT IN CASE THERE WAS SOMETHING REALLY WRONG WITH THE ENG. I WAS AROUND 8000 OR 9000 FT WHEN THE ENG SUDDENLY STARTED BACKFIRING AND QUITTING. I INFORMED WHIDBEY AND DECIDED THAT THE SUREST AIRSTRIP WAS LOPEZ HARBOR. I GLIDED DOWN TO LOPEZ HARBOR AND CIRCLED TWICE. I NOTICED THAT IT WAS R-HAND TFC FOR RWY 16 SO; AFTER ANNOUNCING MY ARR ON THE UNICOM FREQ; I LANDED SUCCESSFULLY ON THE RWY. I THEN CALLED WHIDBEY APCH ON THE LANDLINE AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS DOWN AND SAFE. I THEN CALLED SEATTLE FSS AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN AND ASKED THEM TO CALL CUSTOMS IN PORTLAND AND TELL THEM THAT I WAS AT LOPEZ HARBOR AND WOULD NOT BE IN PORTLAND TONIGHT. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO CLR CUSTOMS SOMEWHERE AND I TOLD THE FLT SPECIALIST THAT DUE TO ENG PROBS I WOULD NOT BE LEAVING LOPEZ HARBOR THAT NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING THE ACFT WAS EXAMINED BY MYSELF AND A MR X. WE DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL AND THAT THE FUEL FLOW WAS SUFFICIENT. WE DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO INDUCTION PROB. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE LEAKAGE OF ANY OIL OR GAS. WE EXAMINED THE MAGNETOS AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE DISCONNECTED P LEAD WIRES TO HAVE AFFECTED THE MAGNETOS. UPON EXAMINING THE P LEAD WIRES I NOTICED THAT THEY CONSISTED OF A SHORT PIECE OF INSULATING TUBING AND THAT THE GNDING WIRE WAS SOLDERED TO A CONTACT. THERE WAS NO SPRING TO PUSH THE CONTACT AGAINST THE CONTACT IN THE MAGNETO. I DEDUCED THAT SINCE THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME SPRING SOMEWHERE TO ENABLE THE LEAD TO MAKE GOOD CONTACT IN THE MAGNETO THAT IT WAS PROBABLY IN THE MAGNETO. A PUSH WITH A SMALL SCREW DRIVER INTO THE CAVITY PROVIDED FOR THE P LEAD VERIFIED THAT THIS WAS THE CASE. I FURTHER DEDUCED THAT; JUST AS AN UNPRESSURIZED MAGNETO WOULD SHORT OUT AND QUIT ON A TURBOCHARGED ENG AT ALT DUE TO THE FACT THAT AIR IS AN INSULATOR AND AS THE AIR GETS LESS DENSE IT IS LESS OF AN INSULATOR. AS I CLBED HIGHER IT ALLOWED THE P LEAD CONNECTION WHICH WAS NOT CLOSER TO THE MAGNETO CASE TO ARC TO THE GNDED CASE AND ONCE THE AIR WAS THIN ENOUGH THEY BOTH ARCED AND TURNED OFF THE ENG. THE P LEAD CONNECTORS WERE SCREWED BACK ONTO THE MAGNETOS AND THE WIRES WERE DISCONNECTED A FEW INCHES BEHIND THE CONNECTORS AND TAPED OFF. THE PLAN WAS TO TKOF AND IMMEDIATELY MAKE A L TURN SO THAT IF THE ENG FAILED I COULD CRASH INTO A FLAT FIELD OR RETURN TO THE STRIP. THE WIND WAS QUITE STRONG AND MR X ADVISED THAT IF ALL WENT WELL I SHOULD PROCEED TO FRIDAY HARBOR WHERE HE FELT THE WIND WOULD NOT BE AS BAD. I DEPARTED LOPEZ HARBOR; AND PROCEEDED TO FRIDAY HARBOR. I WAS ALLOWED TO PROCEED TO BEND; OR; WITH NO ENG PROBS.