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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A beech sierra pilot lands at a closed airport after losing his electrical system and all communication capabilities. He initially diverted to opn, GA, but realizing that airport was IMC, diverted further to a nearby closed field, probably during minimum VMC conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 388722 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199712 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : csg airport : opn |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : csg |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Sierra 24 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v20 enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 388722 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Alternator failed, battery ran down, communication/navigation failed in IMC. Pilot did a turn and broke out in a large hole over a low scattered/broken layer and descended out of 6000 ft. The closed field at thomaston, GA, was located. After it was determined that opn was IFR, a landing was made at the closed field 2 NM southwest. All electrical ground checks were normal. 1 hour into the flight it was noticed that the ammeter showed a discharge. As the pilot of this newly acquired aircraft contemplated what the negative reading meant while in VMC, the aircraft entered IMC and the radios died 45 seconds later. The pilot immediately turned around and re- entered VMC and landed without incident. This was a case of get homeitis as the pilot became suspicious of the ammeter reading, but had a pressing social engagement so pressed on while contemplating instead of landing to contemplate.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BEECH SIERRA PLT LANDS AT A CLOSED ARPT AFTER LOSING HIS ELECTRICAL SYS AND ALL COM CAPABILITIES. HE INITIALLY DIVERTED TO OPN, GA, BUT REALIZING THAT ARPT WAS IMC, DIVERTED FURTHER TO A NEARBY CLOSED FIELD, PROBABLY DURING MINIMUM VMC CONDITIONS.
Narrative: ALTERNATOR FAILED, BATTERY RAN DOWN, COM/NAV FAILED IN IMC. PLT DID A TURN AND BROKE OUT IN A LARGE HOLE OVER A LOW SCATTERED/BROKEN LAYER AND DSNDED OUT OF 6000 FT. THE CLOSED FIELD AT THOMASTON, GA, WAS LOCATED. AFTER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT OPN WAS IFR, A LNDG WAS MADE AT THE CLOSED FIELD 2 NM SW. ALL ELECTRICAL GND CHKS WERE NORMAL. 1 HR INTO THE FLT IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE AMMETER SHOWED A DISCHARGE. AS THE PLT OF THIS NEWLY ACQUIRED ACFT CONTEMPLATED WHAT THE NEGATIVE READING MEANT WHILE IN VMC, THE ACFT ENTERED IMC AND THE RADIOS DIED 45 SECONDS LATER. THE PLT IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND RE- ENTERED VMC AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS WAS A CASE OF GET HOMEITIS AS THE PLT BECAME SUSPICIOUS OF THE AMMETER READING, BUT HAD A PRESSING SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT SO PRESSED ON WHILE CONTEMPLATING INSTEAD OF LNDG TO CONTEMPLATE.
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.