An atx cargo pilot flying a C210C has complete electrical failure in IMC. The pilot climbed above th...

Attributes
ACN	365166
Time
Date	199704
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fmn
State Reference	NM
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv tower : fmn
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 1600
ASRS Report	365166
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was approaching fmn VOR (IAF) and had been cleared ILS runway 25 at fmn when I lost all electrical power in IMC. I climbed, tried to troubleshoot with aircraft checklist. I was unable to resolve problem. I turned to a heading of 130 degrees and went back to abq where WX had been forecast to be improving. Clouds became scattered so I descended and found landmarks familiar and proceeded to double eagle and landed. The mechanics looked at the aircraft there. A ground connection was replaced. I flew aircraft back to abq international. Aircraft was inspected again. Alternator was found to be faulty. I feel that the situation was unforeseen and that there was no prior indication of the onset of the failure. The alternator was bad. It had only 40 hours on it and had slowly been draining battery. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot said that she was flying a cessna turbo 210 and she had just entered the clouds when she had a complete electrical failure. She said that she leveled off, then after a brief xchk to confirm the electrical loss, pulled gently back on the control wheel to climb without inducing a roll. Once she was on top, she said that she again attempted to troubleshoot the problem and fix it and also to contact ARTCC. She was unsuccessful in both endeavors. Later she was able to determine her position using visual references and successfully landed at aeg. She said that she chose to land at this uncontrolled airport rather than go to abq because a NORDO aircraft would be less disruptive at aeg. The ground wire was replaced at aeg and the battery was recharged by the maintenance facility personnel. Upon her return to fmn she noted that the electrical system was again, apparently, failing and this time she said that she suspected the alternator. The reporter said that she did not know the manufacturer of the faulty alternator. She said that she has had no further trouble with this aircraft's electrical system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX CARGO PLT FLYING A C210C HAS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN IMC. THE PLT CLBED ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND FLEW TO ABQ WHERE THE WX WAS BETTER AND LANDED AT AEG. A GND WIRE WAS REPLACED AND LATER THE ALTERNATOR WAS ALSO REPLACED.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING FMN VOR (IAF) AND HAD BEEN CLRED ILS RWY 25 AT FMN WHEN I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR IN IMC. I CLBED, TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT WITH ACFT CHKLIST. I WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE PROB. I TURNED TO A HDG OF 130 DEGS AND WENT BACK TO ABQ WHERE WX HAD BEEN FORECAST TO BE IMPROVING. CLOUDS BECAME SCATTERED SO I DSNDED AND FOUND LANDMARKS FAMILIAR AND PROCEEDED TO DOUBLE EAGLE AND LANDED. THE MECHS LOOKED AT THE ACFT THERE. A GND CONNECTION WAS REPLACED. I FLEW ACFT BACK TO ABQ INTL. ACFT WAS INSPECTED AGAIN. ALTERNATOR WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY. I FEEL THAT THE SIT WAS UNFORESEEN AND THAT THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION OF THE ONSET OF THE FAILURE. THE ALTERNATOR WAS BAD. IT HAD ONLY 40 HRS ON IT AND HAD SLOWLY BEEN DRAINING BATTERY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT SAID THAT SHE WAS FLYING A CESSNA TURBO 210 AND SHE HAD JUST ENTERED THE CLOUDS WHEN SHE HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. SHE SAID THAT SHE LEVELED OFF, THEN AFTER A BRIEF XCHK TO CONFIRM THE ELECTRICAL LOSS, PULLED GENTLY BACK ON THE CTL WHEEL TO CLB WITHOUT INDUCING A ROLL. ONCE SHE WAS ON TOP, SHE SAID THAT SHE AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB AND FIX IT AND ALSO TO CONTACT ARTCC. SHE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN BOTH ENDEAVORS. LATER SHE WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE HER POS USING VISUAL REFS AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED AT AEG. SHE SAID THAT SHE CHOSE TO LAND AT THIS UNCTLED ARPT RATHER THAN GO TO ABQ BECAUSE A NORDO ACFT WOULD BE LESS DISRUPTIVE AT AEG. THE GND WIRE WAS REPLACED AT AEG AND THE BATTERY WAS RECHARGED BY THE MAINT FACILITY PERSONNEL. UPON HER RETURN TO FMN SHE NOTED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYS WAS AGAIN, APPARENTLY, FAILING AND THIS TIME SHE SAID THAT SHE SUSPECTED THE ALTERNATOR. THE RPTR SAID THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAULTY ALTERNATOR. SHE SAID THAT SHE HAS HAD NO FURTHER TROUBLE WITH THIS ACFT'S ELECTRICAL SYS.

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.

An atx cargo pilot flying a C210C has complete electrical failure in IMC. The pilot climbed above the clouds and flew to abq where the WX was better and landed at aeg. A ground wire was replaced and later the alternator was also replaced.