PA31 PLT REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING BECAUSE OF AN ENG PROB.

Narrative

I DEPARTED WATERTOWN; NY; FOR A PART 91 DIRECT FLT TO ALBANY; NY; IN A PA31. I HAD 1 PAX ONBOARD FOR THIS FLT. APPROX 25 MI FROM ALBANY; I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE APCH CTLR TO DSND FROM 7000 FT TO 5000 FT AND EXPECT VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19. I ACKNOWLEDGED. DURING THE DSCNT; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN L TO 110 DEGS AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I WAS TURNING TOWARD THE ASSIGNED HEADING; I NOTICED SOME ENG FLUCTUATION IN THE L ENG. I PUT MY ATTN TOWARD THIS AND ASKED THE CTLR FOR PRIORITY HANDLING. HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND I RECEIVED A VECTOR TOWARD THE ARPT. HE ASKED IF I HAD THE ENG SECURED AND I SAID 'NO.' I WAS ON THE 8 MI FINAL WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENG SEEMED TO BE ACTING NORMAL. THE CTLR THEN HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR. AS I CHKED IN WITH THE TWR; THE TWR CTLR ASKED ME HOW MUCH FUEL AND HOW MANY SOULS ONBOARD. I INFORMED HIM; THEN TOLD HIM THAT I HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL; I NOTICED A MASS OF FIRE TRUCKS ON THE RAMP. I PARKED THE AIRPLANE AND MY PAX WENT ON HIS WAY. I THEN CALLED MY MECH IN ART. I INFORMED HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE SEEMED TO THINK THAT THE WASTE GATE STUCK; THEN FREED ITSELF. HE TOLD ME TO LET IT COOL; THEN GO OUT AND DO A REGULAR RUN-UP; THEN A FULL PWR RUN-UP; 1 ENG AT A TIME. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LET HIM KNOW THE RESULTS. AS I WAS SPEAKING TO MY MECH; I NOTICED 2 MEN STANDING NEARBY. WHEN I WAS FINISHED ON THE PHONE; THEY IDENTED THEMSELVES AS FAA INSPECTORS AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I TOLD THEM AN EMER HAD NOT BEEN DECLARED BY ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT PRIORITY HANDLING WAS THE SAME THING. THEY THEN CONDUCTED A RAMP CHK ON ME. AFTER THE RAMP CHK; I TOLD THEM WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THEY THEN SUGGESTED A MECH IF I THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROB. ONE OF THE INSPECTORS TOLD ME TO PHONE HIM AND LET HIM KNOW THE OUTCOME. AFTER COMPLETING THE RUN-UP; EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE THE PLANE UNAIRWORTHY. AFTER THAT; I CALLED MY MECH BACK AND HE SAID HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT IN THE MORNING. I DEPARTED ALBANY AT XA00; THE FLT BACK WAS NORMAL WITH NO ABNORMALITIES. WHEN I ARRIVED IN ART; I PHONED THE INSPECTOR AND LEFT A MESSAGE ON HIS VOICE-MAIL THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY; I SPOKE TO THE INSPECTOR AND HE IMPLIED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE LEFT WITHOUT A MECH CHKING THE PLANE. I TOLD HIM IF I THOUGHT THE PLANE WAS UNAIRWORTHY I WOULD NOT HAVE LEFT. ALSO; MY MECH DID NOT TELL ME THE PLANE WAS UNSAFE TO FLY. I AM NOT SURE WHERE THE FAA IS GOING WITH THIS BUT IF ALL PLTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS FOR THE MERE ASKING OF PRIORITY HANDLING; THEN I; FOR ONE; WILL BE RELUCTANT TO DECLARE AN EMER UNLESS IT IS A LIFE OF DEATH SIT.