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Pilot of small aircraft aircraft lost all navigation and radio communication. During instrument flight resulting emergency descent and landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 215070 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199207 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : jpu |
| State Reference | WV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 370 flight time type : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 215070 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I departed lost nation airport, with a clearance 200 degree radial dryer VOR direct appleton VOR direct charleston then as filed (to valdosta, GA). After takeoff I got radar vectors for direct charleston VOR. After I advised ATC about 5 mins before that I was direct charleston VOR radio 2 and navigation 2 went dead on me. After checking everything without finding anything, no apparent discharge, radio 1 and navigation 1 including DME were dead also. Now I did the squawking procedures 7700 1 min, 7500 15 min. I still had LORAN so I tuned in the charleston VOR, but while I was doing that also the LORAN went dead. I squawked 7700 again for emergency. Now I did the total cockpit check again, now I found a discharge, the needle little left of center, as a reflex I checked the alternators which that was on. Then I turned off all the electrical equipment. The event of the failure of radio 2 and navigation 2 to turning off the electrical equipment took about 3 mins. The only thing I could think of now was to go for an area that allowed me a VFR descent about 170 (WX briefing) I climbed to 9500 ft (VFR cruising altitude) after about 3 mins I checked if I could use radio 1 again. With the squeals on I could hear a broken voice (no digital display) so I turned everything off again. After about an extra 3 min I checked again. I was able to establish communication with center again. I explained the situation and they told me to go a heading of 170 and to change frequency. This I did not want to do because of the disappeared digital display. I advised them and told them I would be back on the frequency after 1 min. After contacting them again they told me to descent to 2800 ft and that parkersburg was about 14 NM 12 O'clock. I started the descent and lost center totally. I turned everything off to save energy for the flaps, turned out the gear manually, and started looking for the airport. When I saw the airport I circled for wind and light signals complied with the lights and landed. Maintenance there found a broken wire off the alternator.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT LOST ALL NAV AND RADIO COM. DURING INST FLT RESULTING EMER DSCNT AND LNDG.
Narrative: I DEPARTED LOST NATION ARPT, WITH A CLRNC 200 DEG RADIAL DRYER VOR DIRECT APPLETON VOR DIRECT CHARLESTON THEN AS FILED (TO VALDOSTA, GA). AFTER TKOF I GOT RADAR VECTORS FOR DIRECT CHARLESTON VOR. AFTER I ADVISED ATC ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE THAT I WAS DIRECT CHARLESTON VOR RADIO 2 AND NAV 2 WENT DEAD ON ME. AFTER CHKING EVERYTHING WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING, NO APPARENT DISCHARGE, RADIO 1 AND NAV 1 INCLUDING DME WERE DEAD ALSO. NOW I DID THE SQUAWKING PROCS 7700 1 MIN, 7500 15 MIN. I STILL HAD LORAN SO I TUNED IN THE CHARLESTON VOR, BUT WHILE I WAS DOING THAT ALSO THE LORAN WENT DEAD. I SQUAWKED 7700 AGAIN FOR EMER. NOW I DID THE TOTAL COCKPIT CHK AGAIN, NOW I FOUND A DISCHARGE, THE NEEDLE LITTLE L OF CTR, AS A REFLEX I CHKED THE ALTERNATORS WHICH THAT WAS ON. THEN I TURNED OFF ALL THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP. THE EVENT OF THE FAILURE OF RADIO 2 AND NAV 2 TO TURNING OFF THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP TOOK ABOUT 3 MINS. THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF NOW WAS TO GO FOR AN AREA THAT ALLOWED ME A VFR DSCNT ABOUT 170 (WX BRIEFING) I CLBED TO 9500 FT (VFR CRUISING ALT) AFTER ABOUT 3 MINS I CHKED IF I COULD USE RADIO 1 AGAIN. WITH THE SQUEALS ON I COULD HEAR A BROKEN VOICE (NO DIGITAL DISPLAY) SO I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT AN EXTRA 3 MIN I CHKED AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH CTR AGAIN. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THEY TOLD ME TO GO A HDG OF 170 AND TO CHANGE FREQ. THIS I DID NOT WANT TO DO BECAUSE OF THE DISAPPEARED DIGITAL DISPLAY. I ADVISED THEM AND TOLD THEM I WOULD BE BACK ON THE FREQ AFTER 1 MIN. AFTER CONTACTING THEM AGAIN THEY TOLD ME TO DSCNT TO 2800 FT AND THAT PARKERSBURG WAS ABOUT 14 NM 12 O'CLOCK. I STARTED THE DSCNT AND LOST CTR TOTALLY. I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF TO SAVE ENERGY FOR THE FLAPS, TURNED OUT THE GEAR MANUALLY, AND STARTED LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. WHEN I SAW THE ARPT I CIRCLED FOR WIND AND LIGHT SIGNALS COMPLIED WITH THE LIGHTS AND LANDED. MAINT THERE FOUND A BROKEN WIRE OFF THE ALTERNATOR.
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.