A GA small aircraft pilot has an alternator field wire break and he loses his electrical power. He d...

Attributes
ACN	349873
Time
Date	199610
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mlu
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1100 msl bound upper : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mlu tower : mlu
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 35500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	349873
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Prior to takeoff and after engine start verified positive charge indication on engine amp meter. After approximately 1 hour and 45 mins into flight from williams (9x52) airport en route to grenada, ms, (gnf or M42) and approaching mlu VOR on V-18 (approximately gamms intersection) received a low voltage (10.8 volts) message on my GPS indicator along with a 0 or zero amp indication on engine amp meter. Performed a check of all circuit breakers, and performed an over voltage reset of engine alternator. Second GPS low voltage 10.2 volts message followed shortly and then a complete loss of all radios and communications. Performed download of all electrics and momentarily recovered VHF #1 radio and contact with monroe approach. Could receive but unable to transmit. Switched transponder to code 7600. Departed airway south and descended VFR to 2500 ft MSL flying east of mlu airport. Lowered landing gear approaching mlu and mlu tower from east to west descending to 1500 ft VFR observed C130 aircraft on long final approach to runway 04. After passing tower entered left hand turn downwind for runway 04. Did not have a good check or indication of gear down and locked (no horn -- no lights), extended downwind and performed manual gear extension, confirmed gear down indication by nosewheel gear indicator in cockpit. Was unable to lower any flaps. Returned to mlu on a heading of 040 degrees and again observed the C130 aircraft working the pattern at mlu on base leg turn to final 3 mi out and behind me at 7 O'clock, I then observed a beech 1900 on final approach to runway 32. I widened my approach to follow the beech 1900 to runway 32 planning a landing on runway 32 holding short of runway 4/22. Landed as planned on runway 32 short of runway 4/22 without incident. After check of aircraft to determine if safe to taxi, taxied with tower light gun signals to terminal. Maintenance inspection found broken wire connector to alternator field connection as cause of electrical loss. Telephoned tower from maintenance hangar -- explained my problem to duty officer. 'No problem,' his reply. Aircraft repaired mlu.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA SMA PLT HAS AN ALTERNATOR FIELD WIRE BREAK AND HE LOSES HIS ELECTRICAL PWR. HE DIVERTS TO AN ENRTE ARPT, MANUALLY LOWERS THE GEAR, DOES A FLY-BY FOR THE TWR AND ENTERS THE PATTERN BEHIND AN ACR AND LANDS.

Narrative: PRIOR TO TKOF AND AFTER ENG START VERIFIED POSITIVE CHARGE INDICATION ON ENG AMP METER. AFTER APPROX 1 HR AND 45 MINS INTO FLT FROM WILLIAMS (9X52) ARPT ENRTE TO GRENADA, MS, (GNF OR M42) AND APCHING MLU VOR ON V-18 (APPROX GAMMS INTXN) RECEIVED A LOW VOLTAGE (10.8 VOLTS) MESSAGE ON MY GPS INDICATOR ALONG WITH A 0 OR ZERO AMP INDICATION ON ENG AMP METER. PERFORMED A CHK OF ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS, AND PERFORMED AN OVER VOLTAGE RESET OF ENG ALTERNATOR. SECOND GPS LOW VOLTAGE 10.2 VOLTS MESSAGE FOLLOWED SHORTLY AND THEN A COMPLETE LOSS OF ALL RADIOS AND COMS. PERFORMED DOWNLOAD OF ALL ELECTRICS AND MOMENTARILY RECOVERED VHF #1 RADIO AND CONTACT WITH MONROE APCH. COULD RECEIVE BUT UNABLE TO XMIT. SWITCHED XPONDER TO CODE 7600. DEPARTED AIRWAY S AND DSNDED VFR TO 2500 FT MSL FLYING E OF MLU ARPT. LOWERED LNDG GEAR APCHING MLU AND MLU TWR FROM E TO W DSNDING TO 1500 FT VFR OBSERVED C130 ACFT ON LONG FINAL APCH TO RWY 04. AFTER PASSING TWR ENTERED L HAND TURN DOWNWIND FOR RWY 04. DID NOT HAVE A GOOD CHK OR INDICATION OF GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED (NO HORN -- NO LIGHTS), EXTENDED DOWNWIND AND PERFORMED MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION, CONFIRMED GEAR DOWN INDICATION BY NOSEWHEEL GEAR INDICATOR IN COCKPIT. WAS UNABLE TO LOWER ANY FLAPS. RETURNED TO MLU ON A HDG OF 040 DEGS AND AGAIN OBSERVED THE C130 ACFT WORKING THE PATTERN AT MLU ON BASE LEG TURN TO FINAL 3 MI OUT AND BEHIND ME AT 7 O'CLOCK, I THEN OBSERVED A BEECH 1900 ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 32. I WIDENED MY APCH TO FOLLOW THE BEECH 1900 TO RWY 32 PLANNING A LNDG ON RWY 32 HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 4/22. LANDED AS PLANNED ON RWY 32 SHORT OF RWY 4/22 WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER CHK OF ACFT TO DETERMINE IF SAFE TO TAXI, TAXIED WITH TWR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS TO TERMINAL. MAINT INSPECTION FOUND BROKEN WIRE CONNECTOR TO ALTERNATOR FIELD CONNECTION AS CAUSE OF ELECTRICAL LOSS. TELEPHONED TWR FROM MAINT HANGAR -- EXPLAINED MY PROB TO DUTY OFFICER. 'NO PROB,' HIS REPLY. ACFT REPAIRED MLU.

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.

A GA small aircraft pilot has an alternator field wire break and he loses his electrical power. He diverts to an en route airport, manually lowers the gear, does a fly-by for the tower and enters the pattern behind an air carrier and lands.