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Single pilot IFR had overload of alternator, lost radio communication, resorted to hand held emergency and changed tower frequency without clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 185487 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199108 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bfi |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sea tower : bfi |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach ground other : taxi landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 889 flight time type : 280 |
| ASRS Report | 185487 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On a 2-DAY trip from 6r0 to bfi in small aircraft aircraft, got briefing FSS day before trip leg gtf-geg. Morning of trip leg gtf- geg, and 40 mins before takeoff from gtf. Supposed to be VFR, noticing smooth. At 14000 MSL picked up icing in area of fog over rocky mountains. Immediately requested permission to climb but by the time got permission to climb had 1/4 inch ice on leading edge of wing and could not climb. Got out of fog area in 10 mins or less and ice melted off on descent to bfi airport. On approach bfi alternator overloaded due to use of all electrical gear, storm scope, landing lights, pitot heat and strobes. Told seattle approach of problem, shut all electrical down except 1 navigation/communication GS, marker beacon, and transponder. Attempted multiple resetting circuit breakers, etc while vectors for ILS 31R approach bfi. Seattle approach helped expedite my landing. On 2 mi final radio begins to fade out due to low battery. I grabbed my hand-held and plugged to emergency antenna on outside airplane, landed bfi. Tower said to turn left on next exit at parallel runways at bfi. I exited off 31R and switched to hand-held. Display lights on navigation/communication is electrical gas display which faded off due electrical interruption. I punched in ground frequency on hand-held radio and repeated last clearance to taxi on ground frequency I got from looking on my approach plate. I was told to stay with tower frequency previously but I hurriedly had punched in ground frequency out of habit. When I turned off runway and was stopped off runway to turn on, set squelch volume and punched in keyboard frequency on emergency hand-held radio. Ground control gave clearance to taxi, told me I was to stay on tower frequency and should not have changed frequency. I made error due to previous turbulence problems, icing problems, alternator discharge electrical problems, radio failure and in haste to use hand-held radio.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SINGLE PLT IFR HAD OVERLOAD OF ALTERNATOR, LOST RADIO COM, RESORTED TO HAND HELD EMER AND CHANGED TWR FREQ WITHOUT CLRNC.
Narrative: ON A 2-DAY TRIP FROM 6R0 TO BFI IN SMA ACFT, GOT BRIEFING FSS DAY BEFORE TRIP LEG GTF-GEG. MORNING OF TRIP LEG GTF- GEG, AND 40 MINS BEFORE TKOF FROM GTF. SUPPOSED TO BE VFR, NOTICING SMOOTH. AT 14000 MSL PICKED UP ICING IN AREA OF FOG OVER ROCKY MOUNTAINS. IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED PERMISSION TO CLB BUT BY THE TIME GOT PERMISSION TO CLB HAD 1/4 INCH ICE ON LEADING EDGE OF WING AND COULD NOT CLB. GOT OUT OF FOG AREA IN 10 MINS OR LESS AND ICE MELTED OFF ON DSCNT TO BFI ARPT. ON APCH BFI ALTERNATOR OVERLOADED DUE TO USE OF ALL ELECTRICAL GEAR, STORM SCOPE, LNDG LIGHTS, PITOT HEAT AND STROBES. TOLD SEATTLE APCH OF PROBLEM, SHUT ALL ELECTRICAL DOWN EXCEPT 1 NAV/COM GS, MARKER BEACON, AND TRANSPONDER. ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, ETC WHILE VECTORS FOR ILS 31R APCH BFI. SEATTLE APCH HELPED EXPEDITE MY LNDG. ON 2 MI FINAL RADIO BEGINS TO FADE OUT DUE TO LOW BATTERY. I GRABBED MY HAND-HELD AND PLUGGED TO EMER ANTENNA ON OUTSIDE AIRPLANE, LANDED BFI. TWR SAID TO TURN L ON NEXT EXIT AT PARALLEL RWYS AT BFI. I EXITED OFF 31R AND SWITCHED TO HAND-HELD. DISPLAY LIGHTS ON NAV/COM IS ELECTRICAL GAS DISPLAY WHICH FADED OFF DUE ELECTRICAL INTERRUPTION. I PUNCHED IN GND FREQ ON HAND-HELD RADIO AND REPEATED LAST CLRNC TO TAXI ON GND FREQ I GOT FROM LOOKING ON MY APCH PLATE. I WAS TOLD TO STAY WITH TWR FREQ PREVIOUSLY BUT I HURRIEDLY HAD PUNCHED IN GND FREQ OUT OF HABIT. WHEN I TURNED OFF RWY AND WAS STOPPED OFF RWY TO TURN ON, SET SQUELCH VOLUME AND PUNCHED IN KEYBOARD FREQ ON EMER HAND-HELD RADIO. GND CTL GAVE CLRNC TO TAXI, TOLD ME I WAS TO STAY ON TWR FREQ AND SHOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED FREQ. I MADE ERROR DUE TO PREVIOUS TURB PROBLEMS, ICING PROBLEMS, ALTERNATOR DISCHARGE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, RADIO FAILURE AND IN HASTE TO USE HAND-HELD RADIO.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.