A C182 PVT PLT WITH A ROUGH ENG USES HIS COMMAND AUTH WHEN LEAVING HIS ASSIGNED ALT DURING AN EMER DIVERSION TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT; T90; TX.

Narrative

I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM SGR TO LCH. AFTER JOINING V70 AT BOLOS INTXN; MY SINGLE ENG C182 STARTED TO LOSE PWR. I REQUESTED NEAREST ARPT FROM BEAUMONT APCH; AND WINNIE STOWELL WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS. I REQUESTED VECTORS TO WINNIE AND PROCEEDED IN THE DIRECTION OF THAT ARPT. WAS TOLD A VECTOR AND TO DSND TO 1200 FT OR 1500 FT; WHICH DECLINED TO DO. I REMAINED AT 7000 FT. A FEW MINS LATER; THE ENG WAS WORSENING AND I TOLD APCH THAT I WAS GOING TO CLB. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO WAIT UNTIL HE CONTACTED CTR; TO WHICH I REPLIED 'NEGATIVE.' I CLBED TO 7500 FT; BUT BEFORE GETTING TO THAT ALT; I WAS CLRED PLT'S DISCRETION TO 9000 FT. LANDED AT WINNIE STOWELL ARPT IN CHAMBERS COUNTY WITH NO PROBS EXCEPT AN ENG THAT WAS NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY. APCH TOLD (CALLED) WINNIE AND TALKED TO A MECH THAT I WAS HAVING PROBS AND AFTER I LANDED THE MECH CALLED ATC BACK AND INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD LANDED SAFELY. I ALSO CALLED AND TALKED TO BEAUMONT FROM WINNIE. THEY TOOK MY NAME AND ADDRESS ALONG WITH PHONE NUMBER. THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY PROB WITH WHAT HAD JUST TAKEN PLACE; NO DISRUPTION OF THE ATC SYS. THE LAST I HEARD; THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS BAD.