Narrative:

The sequence of this event is as follows: after a round trip to boston, we delivered our passenger to W54 at about XA15 on apr/mon/96. We refueled and received a WX briefing for the IFR flight from W54 to gai. Gai was above minimums 1500/3) and iad was an alternate. We filed IFR and with normal operations departed W54 at XA50 (the clearance was W54 direct EMI direct fdk and expect the VOR 14 approach to gai -- 4000 ft en route). 4 mins after takeoff baltimore approach control advised that they had lost our transponder and we acknowledged and continued. 2 mins later the copilot noted an ammeter major discharge and we shut down all electrical equipment, feeling that the alternator had failed. (We did not cycle the alternator switch!). In night IMC, we proceeded to the fdk area and then set up a 5 min east/west racetrack at 4000 ft while the copilot rigged his handheld portable radio. Flashlights were available. After some period of time we very briefly turned on the battery and LORAN for a heading/distance to fdk. The heading agreed with the handheld and we arrived at the VOR. No voice communication was accomplished, so we elected to use the ILS approach to fdk. The LORAN was used outbound and the #1 communication-navigation was turned on for the approach, it functioned properly and we broke out at about 1300 ft. A normal landing was made. At engine shutdown on the ramp, it was noted that although the battery switch was 'on,' the 'split rocker' alternator switch was 'off.' a state police cruiser met us on the ramp and after hearing of our total electrical failure, said he would call FAA and cancel our flight plan. Within 30 mins, I called baltimore approach control to also report, they were aware of our situation and had skin painted us. They indicated no procedural problem and appreciated our 'on the ground' report. The following day the ferry crew arrived at fdk to return the aircraft to gai. A 'jump start' was accomplished and all operations were normal. The return flight was without incident and the aircraft was put back on the line. It was apparent that the flight was accomplished with the alternator switch 'off.' lessons learned include: be thorough in preflight. Although the oil pressure was verified at engine start, it is obvious that the ammeter discharge was missed! In-flight, the alternator switch should have been cycled once to 'flash the field' and bring the alternator on-line. We did not do this. Instead we immediately started working the problem (instead of the cause!). A full fuel load is a blessing, it gives time to proceed rationally. We set up the race track holding pattern in the fdk area until we were ready to do the approach. (FAA said they recognized this). Recognize that all electric should be shut down to save the battery for the approach. The LORAN amperage draw is modest and it was a major factor in the successful landing. The communication-navigation provided the final guidance and sufficient battery power was available. In conclusion: fly the airplane. Have flashlights/batteries available. Know how to use the handheld radio. Use the alternator switch to try to bring the alternator on-line, it would have saved us a lot of sweat!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC INDUCED ELECTRICAL FAILURE. AFTER OBSERVING AN AMMETER MAJOR DISCHARGE, FLC SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP. THEY WERE ABLE TO USE A HANDHELD RADIO AND HAD FLASHLIGHTS PLUS TURNED ON THE NAV RADIO TO MAKE AN ILS APCH. THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH WAS DISCOVERED TO BE OFF AFTER THEY LANDED.

Narrative: THE SEQUENCE OF THIS EVENT IS AS FOLLOWS: AFTER A ROUND TRIP TO BOSTON, WE DELIVERED OUR PAX TO W54 AT ABOUT XA15 ON APR/MON/96. WE REFUELED AND RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR THE IFR FLT FROM W54 TO GAI. GAI WAS ABOVE MINIMUMS 1500/3) AND IAD WAS AN ALTERNATE. WE FILED IFR AND WITH NORMAL OPS DEPARTED W54 AT XA50 (THE CLRNC WAS W54 DIRECT EMI DIRECT FDK AND EXPECT THE VOR 14 APCH TO GAI -- 4000 FT ENRTE). 4 MINS AFTER TKOF BALTIMORE APCH CTL ADVISED THAT THEY HAD LOST OUR XPONDER AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONTINUED. 2 MINS LATER THE COPLT NOTED AN AMMETER MAJOR DISCHARGE AND WE SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP, FEELING THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED. (WE DID NOT CYCLE THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH!). IN NIGHT IMC, WE PROCEEDED TO THE FDK AREA AND THEN SET UP A 5 MIN E/W RACETRACK AT 4000 FT WHILE THE COPLT RIGGED HIS HANDHELD PORTABLE RADIO. FLASHLIGHTS WERE AVAILABLE. AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME WE VERY BRIEFLY TURNED ON THE BATTERY AND LORAN FOR A HDG/DISTANCE TO FDK. THE HDG AGREED WITH THE HANDHELD AND WE ARRIVED AT THE VOR. NO VOICE COM WAS ACCOMPLISHED, SO WE ELECTED TO USE THE ILS APCH TO FDK. THE LORAN WAS USED OUTBOUND AND THE #1 COM-NAV WAS TURNED ON FOR THE APCH, IT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY AND WE BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 1300 FT. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. AT ENG SHUTDOWN ON THE RAMP, IT WAS NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE BATTERY SWITCH WAS 'ON,' THE 'SPLIT ROCKER' ALTERNATOR SWITCH WAS 'OFF.' A STATE POLICE CRUISER MET US ON THE RAMP AND AFTER HEARING OF OUR TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, SAID HE WOULD CALL FAA AND CANCEL OUR FLT PLAN. WITHIN 30 MINS, I CALLED BALTIMORE APCH CTL TO ALSO RPT, THEY WERE AWARE OF OUR SIT AND HAD SKIN PAINTED US. THEY INDICATED NO PROCEDURAL PROB AND APPRECIATED OUR 'ON THE GND' RPT. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE FERRY CREW ARRIVED AT FDK TO RETURN THE ACFT TO GAI. A 'JUMP START' WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND ALL OPS WERE NORMAL. THE RETURN FLT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE ACFT WAS PUT BACK ON THE LINE. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE FLT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH 'OFF.' LESSONS LEARNED INCLUDE: BE THOROUGH IN PREFLT. ALTHOUGH THE OIL PRESSURE WAS VERIFIED AT ENGINE START, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE AMMETER DISCHARGE WAS MISSED! INFLT, THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN CYCLED ONCE TO 'FLASH THE FIELD' AND BRING THE ALTERNATOR ON-LINE. WE DID NOT DO THIS. INSTEAD WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED WORKING THE PROB (INSTEAD OF THE CAUSE!). A FULL FUEL LOAD IS A BLESSING, IT GIVES TIME TO PROCEED RATIONALLY. WE SET UP THE RACE TRACK HOLDING PATTERN IN THE FDK AREA UNTIL WE WERE READY TO DO THE APCH. (FAA SAID THEY RECOGNIZED THIS). RECOGNIZE THAT ALL ELECTRIC SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN TO SAVE THE BATTERY FOR THE APCH. THE LORAN AMPERAGE DRAW IS MODEST AND IT WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE SUCCESSFUL LNDG. THE COM-NAV PROVIDED THE FINAL GUIDANCE AND SUFFICIENT BATTERY PWR WAS AVAILABLE. IN CONCLUSION: FLY THE AIRPLANE. HAVE FLASHLIGHTS/BATTERIES AVAILABLE. KNOW HOW TO USE THE HANDHELD RADIO. USE THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH TO TRY TO BRING THE ALTERNATOR ON-LINE, IT WOULD HAVE SAVED US A LOT OF SWEAT!!

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.