Narrative:

Yesterday, oct/sat/91, at about XY00 am, I received a telephone call from the chief flight instructor of the FBO where I am employed as a part time flight instructor. He said he needed an instructor to fly a dual cross country to airport 'B' and asked if I would do it. I accepted and was there at about AB30 pm. Upon arriving at the FBO, I found that there were 2 people waiting to go on the flight. I checked the weight and balance and we departed airport 'a' about AC15 pm. Shortly before reaching our destination, I was told that neither of the 2 were pilots and the reason for the trip was to pick up an automobile part. After a 2.2 hour flight, we landed at airport 'B'. They got out of the aircraft and went to get the part. Several mins later they returned and told me that we were at the wrong airport. At that time one of them told me the following story: he called the FBO in the morning and spoke to the chief flight instructor. He told the chief flight instructor what town he needed to get to and asked if there was an airport there. A short time later, the chief flight instructor phoned to tell him there was an airport and that he had an instructor. Flight was then made to airport 'B'. After this story, the customer then called directory assistance and asked for the number for the airport in the town where he told the chief flight instructor he needed to go. He made some calls and arranged for the part to be there. I found the town where he needed to go on my sectional, but the airport was just off of it. I told him that I could not take him there for the following reasons: 1) I thought the flight was to be instructional, and going to pick up the part was not the purpose of the flight. 2) I did not have the proper sectional. 3) I estimated the flight to be about 2 hours, which would have us back to 'a' after dark and I was not night current to carry passenger. 4) it was a grass field. Airport 'B' did not have fuel, so after a .9 hour leg we arrived airport 'C' for fuel. During the leg from airport 'C' to 'a' the alternator failed. After consulting the proper checklist I shut off all electrical equipment to conserve electrical power for the arrival. Arrival at 'a' would be within 1 hour of sunset but it would be getting dark and I knew I would need a landing light and radio. About 30 mi from our destination (a), I realized that I was operating within 30 NM of a TCA with the transponder off. (As stated above, this was because I turned off all electrical components to conserve power for the arrival.) I immediately turned and started a descent to avoid the TCA. I believe that I diverted soon enough to avoid penetrating the TCA, although I do not know for sure. Being concerned about the electrical problem, about landing within 1 hour after sunset, and not having use of the electric navigation instruments caused me to unknowingly and unintentionally fly closer to the TCA than I should have. About 5 mi from the destination airport (a), I turned the electrical power back on and called the tower. I told them about the failure and that I wanted to turn the power back off until on final. They said that would be fine and cleared me to land. The landing went without incident but the landing light died during the rollout. Also, there was not enough power to call ground control so the tower gave me a green light for taxi. Furthermore, I was told that this was going to be a dual cross country and did not realize until we were well into the flight that this was not the case. We did not pick up the part, the customer did not pay for the aircraft and I intend to accept no compensation for the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME CFI GETS INTO VARIOUS SITUATIONS SUCH AS LOSS OF PRIMARY ELECTRICAL PWR, UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE AND OPERATING ACFT WITHOUT LIGHTS PAST SUNSET AND CARRYING PAX FOR HIRE WHEN NOT NIGHT CURRENT.

Narrative: YESTERDAY, OCT/SAT/91, AT ABOUT XY00 AM, I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR OF THE FBO WHERE I AM EMPLOYED AS A PART TIME FLT INSTRUCTOR. HE SAID HE NEEDED AN INSTRUCTOR TO FLY A DUAL XCOUNTRY TO ARPT 'B' AND ASKED IF I WOULD DO IT. I ACCEPTED AND WAS THERE AT ABOUT AB30 PM. UPON ARRIVING AT THE FBO, I FOUND THAT THERE WERE 2 PEOPLE WAITING TO GO ON THE FLT. I CHKED THE WT AND BAL AND WE DEPARTED ARPT 'A' ABOUT AC15 PM. SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING OUR DEST, I WAS TOLD THAT NEITHER OF THE 2 WERE PLTS AND THE REASON FOR THE TRIP WAS TO PICK UP AN AUTOMOBILE PART. AFTER A 2.2 HR FLT, WE LANDED AT ARPT 'B'. THEY GOT OUT OF THE ACFT AND WENT TO GET THE PART. SEVERAL MINS LATER THEY RETURNED AND TOLD ME THAT WE WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT. AT THAT TIME ONE OF THEM TOLD ME THE FOLLOWING STORY: HE CALLED THE FBO IN THE MORNING AND SPOKE TO THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR. HE TOLD THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR WHAT TOWN HE NEEDED TO GET TO AND ASKED IF THERE WAS AN ARPT THERE. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR PHONED TO TELL HIM THERE WAS AN ARPT AND THAT HE HAD AN INSTRUCTOR. FLT WAS THEN MADE TO ARPT 'B'. AFTER THIS STORY, THE CUSTOMER THEN CALLED DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE AND ASKED FOR THE NUMBER FOR THE ARPT IN THE TOWN WHERE HE TOLD THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR HE NEEDED TO GO. HE MADE SOME CALLS AND ARRANGED FOR THE PART TO BE THERE. I FOUND THE TOWN WHERE HE NEEDED TO GO ON MY SECTIONAL, BUT THE ARPT WAS JUST OFF OF IT. I TOLD HIM THAT I COULD NOT TAKE HIM THERE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) I THOUGHT THE FLT WAS TO BE INSTRUCTIONAL, AND GOING TO PICK UP THE PART WAS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT. 2) I DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER SECTIONAL. 3) I ESTIMATED THE FLT TO BE ABOUT 2 HRS, WHICH WOULD HAVE US BACK TO 'A' AFTER DARK AND I WAS NOT NIGHT CURRENT TO CARRY PAX. 4) IT WAS A GRASS FIELD. ARPT 'B' DID NOT HAVE FUEL, SO AFTER A .9 HR LEG WE ARRIVED ARPT 'C' FOR FUEL. DURING THE LEG FROM ARPT 'C' TO 'A' THE ALTERNATOR FAILED. AFTER CONSULTING THE PROPER CHKLIST I SHUT OFF ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP TO CONSERVE ELECTRICAL PWR FOR THE ARR. ARR AT 'A' WOULD BE WITHIN 1 HR OF SUNSET BUT IT WOULD BE GETTING DARK AND I KNEW I WOULD NEED A LNDG LIGHT AND RADIO. ABOUT 30 MI FROM OUR DEST (A), I REALIZED THAT I WAS OPERATING WITHIN 30 NM OF A TCA WITH THE TRANSPONDER OFF. (AS STATED ABOVE, THIS WAS BECAUSE I TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS TO CONSERVE PWR FOR THE ARR.) I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AND STARTED A DSCNT TO AVOID THE TCA. I BELIEVE THAT I DIVERTED SOON ENOUGH TO AVOID PENETRATING THE TCA, ALTHOUGH I DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE. BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, ABOUT LNDG WITHIN 1 HR AFTER SUNSET, AND NOT HAVING USE OF THE ELECTRIC NAV INSTS CAUSED ME TO UNKNOWINGLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY FLY CLOSER TO THE TCA THAN I SHOULD HAVE. ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE DEST ARPT (A), I TURNED THE ELECTRICAL PWR BACK ON AND CALLED THE TWR. I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE FAILURE AND THAT I WANTED TO TURN THE PWR BACK OFF UNTIL ON FINAL. THEY SAID THAT WOULD BE FINE AND CLRED ME TO LAND. THE LNDG WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT THE LNDG LIGHT DIED DURING THE ROLLOUT. ALSO, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH PWR TO CALL GND CTL SO THE TWR GAVE ME A GREEN LIGHT FOR TAXI. FURTHERMORE, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A DUAL XCOUNTRY AND DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL WE WERE WELL INTO THE FLT THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. WE DID NOT PICK UP THE PART, THE CUSTOMER DID NOT PAY FOR THE ACFT AND I INTEND TO ACCEPT NO COMPENSATION FOR THE FLT.

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.