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A VMC PA28-140 private pilot loses his electrical system due to a major fault and lands without clearance at fwa, in.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 418619 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199810 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fwa airport : fwa |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 1600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : fwa tower : fwa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 134 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 418619 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I was flying approximately 8 SM from fwa at 1600 ft MSL with a passenger who was taking aerial photographs. Apparently there was a short in the charging circuit that had caused the circuit breaker to the generator to kick out at some point in the flight. I had not noticed this until the point in time that I had just notified fwa approach of my intentions to come back into fwa to land. As I had notified fwa, who had me on radar (squawk code on my transponder), and went to notify them a second time, my radios sputtered once and went dead. The dual fuel tanks and gauges were acting up and one of the gauges read empty. Not knowing for sure if I had just radio problems or both radio problems and mechanical problems, I squawked 7700 on my transponder. The signal light on my transponder was blinking, so I assumed they had my signal, so I went into fwa and safely landed. According to the place I rent the plane from, there was a shorted wire and a capacitor on the magneto that caused the breaker to kick out. When we called fwa tower, they indicated there were no problems, but my understanding was that they were not aware of my problems or that I landed. It seems to me the cherokee 140 (1967) has a gauge that shows the electrical load that could've tipped me off that there was a problem, but wouldn't it be inexpensive and smart to have the planes equipped with a warning light or other device to let you know that your generator or alternator is not charging and/or your electrical system voltage or output is dropping below a safe level.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A VMC PA28-140 PVT PLT LOSES HIS ELECTRICAL SYS DUE TO A MAJOR FAULT AND LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC AT FWA, IN.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING APPROX 8 SM FROM FWA AT 1600 FT MSL WITH A PAX WHO WAS TAKING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE CHARGING CIRCUIT THAT HAD CAUSED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO THE GENERATOR TO KICK OUT AT SOME POINT IN THE FLT. I HAD NOT NOTICED THIS UNTIL THE POINT IN TIME THAT I HAD JUST NOTIFIED FWA APCH OF MY INTENTIONS TO COME BACK INTO FWA TO LAND. AS I HAD NOTIFIED FWA, WHO HAD ME ON RADAR (SQUAWK CODE ON MY XPONDER), AND WENT TO NOTIFY THEM A SECOND TIME, MY RADIOS SPUTTERED ONCE AND WENT DEAD. THE DUAL FUEL TANKS AND GAUGES WERE ACTING UP AND ONE OF THE GAUGES READ EMPTY. NOT KNOWING FOR SURE IF I HAD JUST RADIO PROBS OR BOTH RADIO PROBS AND MECHANICAL PROBS, I SQUAWKED 7700 ON MY XPONDER. THE SIGNAL LIGHT ON MY XPONDER WAS BLINKING, SO I ASSUMED THEY HAD MY SIGNAL, SO I WENT INTO FWA AND SAFELY LANDED. ACCORDING TO THE PLACE I RENT THE PLANE FROM, THERE WAS A SHORTED WIRE AND A CAPACITOR ON THE MAGNETO THAT CAUSED THE BREAKER TO KICK OUT. WHEN WE CALLED FWA TWR, THEY INDICATED THERE WERE NO PROBS, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF MY PROBS OR THAT I LANDED. IT SEEMS TO ME THE CHEROKEE 140 (1967) HAS A GAUGE THAT SHOWS THE ELECTRICAL LOAD THAT COULD'VE TIPPED ME OFF THAT THERE WAS A PROB, BUT WOULDN'T IT BE INEXPENSIVE AND SMART TO HAVE THE PLANES EQUIPPED WITH A WARNING LIGHT OR OTHER DEVICE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR GENERATOR OR ALTERNATOR IS NOT CHARGING AND/OR YOUR ELECTRICAL SYS VOLTAGE OR OUTPUT IS DROPPING BELOW A SAFE LEVEL.
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.