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Failure of electrical charging system. Request vector to nearby airport and declared emergency. Request priority handling. Lands.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 218159 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199208 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : grw airport : gwo |
| State Reference | MS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 850 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 218159 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Instrument scan discovered low (edge of green arc) oil pressure, slight discharge, (1 needle's width). Landing lights and navigation lights had been on for 10 mins or so, circuit breaker to alternator (60 amp) clicked when depressed. Position report to center in lieu of radar contact had just been acknowledged and confirmed by radar about 5-10 mins prior. Thus, proximity to greenwood airport certain but no visual. Advised ZME of in-flight emergency and requested vector to gwo and priority handoff due to proximity to air traffic area. Ground inspection revealed chafing of insulation on landing light connectors, corrected with shrink tubing and tie wraps, charged battery, system ground tested ok. Charging system failed at night on continuation to gtr. If service had been available at greenwood, possibly a more thorough inspection involving disassembly of the charging system would have averted the hazards of intermittent problems and night operation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL CHARGING SYS. REQUEST VECTOR TO NEARBY ARPT AND DECLARED EMER. REQUEST PRIORITY HANDLING. LANDS.
Narrative: INST SCAN DISCOVERED LOW (EDGE OF GREEN ARC) OIL PRESSURE, SLIGHT DISCHARGE, (1 NEEDLE'S WIDTH). LNDG LIGHTS AND NAV LIGHTS HAD BEEN ON FOR 10 MINS OR SO, CIRCUIT BREAKER TO ALTERNATOR (60 AMP) CLICKED WHEN DEPRESSED. POS RPT TO CTR IN LIEU OF RADAR CONTACT HAD JUST BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONFIRMED BY RADAR ABOUT 5-10 MINS PRIOR. THUS, PROX TO GREENWOOD ARPT CERTAIN BUT NO VISUAL. ADVISED ZME OF INFLT EMER AND REQUESTED VECTOR TO GWO AND PRIORITY HDOF DUE TO PROX TO ATA. GND INSPECTION REVEALED CHAFING OF INSULATION ON LNDG LIGHT CONNECTORS, CORRECTED WITH SHRINK TUBING AND TIE WRAPS, CHARGED BATTERY, SYS GND TESTED OK. CHARGING SYS FAILED AT NIGHT ON CONTINUATION TO GTR. IF SVC HAD BEEN AVAILABLE AT GREENWOOD, POSSIBLY A MORE THOROUGH INSPECTION INVOLVING DISASSEMBLY OF THE CHARGING SYS WOULD HAVE AVERTED THE HAZARDS OF INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS AND NIGHT OP.
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.