 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Aircraft equipment problem with avionics created by buildup of static electricity and subsequent discharges during descent and approach. Electrical electronic panel problem ensued with aircraft's avionics.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 279433 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199408 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : saw airport : mqt |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : saw tower : aus |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Beech 1900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 279433 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Situation: excessive precipitation static build-up/discharge, back course-1900C. Aircraft experienced heavy static charge buildup resulting in 'saint elmos fire' on wing tips, propeller blades, static wicks, etc. What makes this noteworthy was the extensive discharge at the radome at nose of aircraft with constant 'sparking' for 2-3 mins. Some of the discharges were 2-3 ft long illuminating the sky ahead of the aircraft. This static did affect the avionic's and we used extreme caution on the approach. This may be related directly to the commuter crash in 1991. Corrective action by company maintenance was to replace several static wicks.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB WITH AVIONICS CREATED BY BUILDUP OF STATIC ELECTRICITY AND SUBSEQUENT DISCHARGES DURING DSCNT AND APCH. ELECTRICAL ELECTRONIC PANEL PROB ENSUED WITH ACFT'S AVIONICS.
Narrative: SIT: EXCESSIVE PRECIPITATION STATIC BUILD-UP/DISCHARGE, BC-1900C. ACFT EXPERIENCED HVY STATIC CHARGE BUILDUP RESULTING IN 'SAINT ELMOS FIRE' ON WING TIPS, PROP BLADES, STATIC WICKS, ETC. WHAT MAKES THIS NOTEWORTHY WAS THE EXTENSIVE DISCHARGE AT THE RADOME AT NOSE OF ACFT WITH CONSTANT 'SPARKING' FOR 2-3 MINS. SOME OF THE DISCHARGES WERE 2-3 FT LONG ILLUMINATING THE SKY AHEAD OF THE ACFT. THIS STATIC DID AFFECT THE AVIONIC'S AND WE USED EXTREME CAUTION ON THE APCH. THIS MAY BE RELATED DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUTER CRASH IN 1991. CORRECTIVE ACTION BY COMPANY MAINT WAS TO REPLACE SEVERAL STATIC WICKS.
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.