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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Private instrument rated pilot experienced total electrical failure during a night cross country resulting in penetration of arsa airspace, without a clearance, and the outer 'mode C' area of a TCA without a transponder.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 222990 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199210 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mht |
| State Reference | NH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 7500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mht |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 476 |
| ASRS Report | 222990 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Departed teterboro, nj, en route to stow, ma. Alternator stopped charging after danbury, ct. With some electric power remaining, turned off 'unnecessary' electronics, climbed to 7500 ft. Decided to land at next suitable airport. Panel was completely dark over bdl. Planned to land at orh. Although I left transponder on at danbury, was not in all likelihood functioning over bdl (an arsa). Upon reaching orh, runway lights were off. Flew to 6b6 at 2500 ft (in mode C veil of bos TCA). Runway lights off there too. Then tried fit and ash with no better luck. Had no intention of landing without runway and landing lights (although have practiced no-landing light lndgs with runway lights). Finally went to mht (arsa until midnight), circled tower 3 times, got no green light, then landed anyway. Notes: could have landed at bdl, but decided not to penetrate a busy arsa without any lighting, with potential fast jet landing behind me, and tower not knowing I was there. Most airports in northeast late at night have pilot controlled lighting, thus, minimizing your options to land without ability to transmit. Options remaining are generally arsa's and TCA's, with no ability to contact them. I put my flashlight to very, very good use! I made good use of dead reckoning. Next time at night (day too) I bring my handheld!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PRIVATE INST RATED PLT EXPERIENCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE DURING A NIGHT XCOUNTRY RESULTING IN PENETRATION OF ARSA AIRSPACE, WITHOUT A CLRNC, AND THE OUTER 'MODE C' AREA OF A TCA WITHOUT A TRANSPONDER.
Narrative: DEPARTED TETERBORO, NJ, ENRTE TO STOW, MA. ALTERNATOR STOPPED CHARGING AFTER DANBURY, CT. WITH SOME ELECTRIC PWR REMAINING, TURNED OFF 'UNNECESSARY' ELECTRONICS, CLBED TO 7500 FT. DECIDED TO LAND AT NEXT SUITABLE ARPT. PANEL WAS COMPLETELY DARK OVER BDL. PLANNED TO LAND AT ORH. ALTHOUGH I LEFT TRANSPONDER ON AT DANBURY, WAS NOT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONING OVER BDL (AN ARSA). UPON REACHING ORH, RWY LIGHTS WERE OFF. FLEW TO 6B6 AT 2500 FT (IN MODE C VEIL OF BOS TCA). RWY LIGHTS OFF THERE TOO. THEN TRIED FIT AND ASH WITH NO BETTER LUCK. HAD NO INTENTION OF LNDG WITHOUT RWY AND LNDG LIGHTS (ALTHOUGH HAVE PRACTICED NO-LNDG LIGHT LNDGS WITH RWY LIGHTS). FINALLY WENT TO MHT (ARSA UNTIL MIDNIGHT), CIRCLED TWR 3 TIMES, GOT NO GREEN LIGHT, THEN LANDED ANYWAY. NOTES: COULD HAVE LANDED AT BDL, BUT DECIDED NOT TO PENETRATE A BUSY ARSA WITHOUT ANY LIGHTING, WITH POTENTIAL FAST JET LNDG BEHIND ME, AND TWR NOT KNOWING I WAS THERE. MOST ARPTS IN NE LATE AT NIGHT HAVE PCL, THUS, MINIMIZING YOUR OPTIONS TO LAND WITHOUT ABILITY TO XMIT. OPTIONS REMAINING ARE GENERALLY ARSA'S AND TCA'S, WITH NO ABILITY TO CONTACT THEM. I PUT MY FLASHLIGHT TO VERY, VERY GOOD USE! I MADE GOOD USE OF DEAD RECKONING. NEXT TIME AT NIGHT (DAY TOO) I BRING MY HANDHELD!
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.