Narrative:

In sum: a pilot in a rented small aircraft was flying with a total of 4 in the aircraft. One of the passenger told the pilot that there was a 'whine' in the cabin. The pilot was wearing a headset, the passenger were not wearing headsets. The pilot determined that the 'whine' was an alternator noise. When it persisted and got louder, the pilot, who had not filed a flight plan, called prc FSS on 121.5 and landed uneventfully at tombstone. The front seat passenger had to pump the landing gear down. The problem turned out to be a burned out landing gear motor. One of the passenger counseled another passenger not to tell the pilot that there was a 'whine' and therefore a possible problem. All common sense procedures were followed in this emergency situation. I probably should have taken my headset off sooner. The small aircraft is a very noisy airplane. Hearing a whine is really tough and I assumed much too early that what 'I' was hearing was not what the passenger were hearing. I did not file an FAA flight plan for a reason. FAA is a pain in the ass to deal with. The waits on the phone are intolerable. So, here is what I do. My brother and my son are both pilots. Whenever I go flying, I send them a copy of my flight plan. I then call them at each stop. If, for whatever reason I fail to call, their plan is to call the FAA. I realize this is a strategy out of the norm, but it works. I found my brother one time in san francisco when he was about 5 mins overdue. If I had to do it over again? I believe my decision to immediately land was a good one. Although my passenger were grossly inconvenienced, had I overflown tombstone, there are no additional airstrips between there and tucson, meaning an emergency landing would have been off airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT LANDED ENRTE WITH A FAILED ELECTRICAL SYS.

Narrative: IN SUM: A PLT IN A RENTED SMA WAS FLYING WITH A TOTAL OF 4 IN THE ACFT. ONE OF THE PAX TOLD THE PLT THAT THERE WAS A 'WHINE' IN THE CABIN. THE PLT WAS WEARING A HEADSET, THE PAX WERE NOT WEARING HEADSETS. THE PLT DETERMINED THAT THE 'WHINE' WAS AN ALTERNATOR NOISE. WHEN IT PERSISTED AND GOT LOUDER, THE PLT, WHO HAD NOT FILED A FLT PLAN, CALLED PRC FSS ON 121.5 AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT TOMBSTONE. THE FRONT SEAT PAX HAD TO PUMP THE LNDG GEAR DOWN. THE PROB TURNED OUT TO BE A BURNED OUT LNDG GEAR MOTOR. ONE OF THE PAX COUNSELED ANOTHER PAX NOT TO TELL THE PLT THAT THERE WAS A 'WHINE' AND THEREFORE A POSSIBLE PROB. ALL COMMON SENSE PROCS WERE FOLLOWED IN THIS EMER SIT. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY HEADSET OFF SOONER. THE SMA IS A VERY NOISY AIRPLANE. HEARING A WHINE IS REALLY TOUGH AND I ASSUMED MUCH TOO EARLY THAT WHAT 'I' WAS HEARING WAS NOT WHAT THE PAX WERE HEARING. I DID NOT FILE AN FAA FLT PLAN FOR A REASON. FAA IS A PAIN IN THE ASS TO DEAL WITH. THE WAITS ON THE PHONE ARE INTOLERABLE. SO, HERE IS WHAT I DO. MY BROTHER AND MY SON ARE BOTH PLTS. WHENEVER I GO FLYING, I SEND THEM A COPY OF MY FLT PLAN. I THEN CALL THEM AT EACH STOP. IF, FOR WHATEVER REASON I FAIL TO CALL, THEIR PLAN IS TO CALL THE FAA. I REALIZE THIS IS A STRATEGY OUT OF THE NORM, BUT IT WORKS. I FOUND MY BROTHER ONE TIME IN SAN FRANCISCO WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 5 MINS OVERDUE. IF I HAD TO DO IT OVER AGAIN? I BELIEVE MY DECISION TO IMMEDIATELY LAND WAS A GOOD ONE. ALTHOUGH MY PAX WERE GROSSLY INCONVENIENCED, HAD I OVERFLOWN TOMBSTONE, THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL AIRSTRIPS BTWN THERE AND TUCSON, MEANING AN EMER LNDG WOULD HAVE BEEN OFF ARPT.

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.