PA27 PLT LOSES L ENG AND DSNDS INTO IMC.

Narrative

CLBED ABOVE CLOUDS ENRTE. WAS IN LEVEL FLT 10500 FT ON COURSE WHEN I NOTICED A SLIGHT ABNORMAL VIBRATION. SOMETHING FELT WRONG SO I DECIDED TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER; THE ACFT STARTED SLOWING DOWN WHILE I MAINTAINED ALT. I HAD FLT FOLLOWING WITH ZZZ APCH. I RADIOED THAT I HAD A PROB. WHILE MAINTAINING 120 MPH AND GOING TO FULL PWR; I STARTED DSNDING. I PULLED THE L THROTTLE TO IDLE AND THERE WAS NO EFFECT. I CHKED THE R ENG AND IT APPEARED TO BE PRODUCING PWR; BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN ALT. I INFORMED ZZZ APCH THAT I LOST THE L ENG AND WAS ENTERING IMC. APCH TOLD ME THAT THE CLOSEST ARPT WAS BEHIND ME AND ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I ELECTED TO GO TO ZZZ BECAUSE I HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN OVER THERE AND THE CEILING WAS HIGHER. I KNEW THAT THE CEILING WAS LOWER TO THE N. I WANTED TO HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO SET UP FOR THE APCH IN VFR CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY; THE CLOSEST ARPT WAS BEHIND ME AND WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A 180 DEG TURN IN IMC; SINGLE ENG. ZZZ ARPT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I COULD HAVE GLIDED THERE WITH BOTH ENGS OUT. I ARRIVED OVER ZZZ ARPT AT 4000 FT AGL; DID A 360 DEG R TURN WHILE PUMPING THE GEAR DOWN AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG.