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A C172 pilot on a sightseeing flight lost all electrical power in the pattern of his home airport. He mistakenly flew the wrong landing pattern and caused 2 aircraft to go around.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 424797 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ito |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 960 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 424797 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On tourist flight in rented C172. Visual conditions on trip from koa had been stressful. Contacted hilo approach about 15 NM southeast. Passenger became ill and took off seat belt. When I contacted hilo tower, told to land right traffic for runway 8. Told tower I had to circle while I got passenger settled. All lights had been on for 2+ hours. Radios became intermittent. Last heard from tower, I thought transmission said, 'wind shift, do you want runway 21?' then I lost all radios, lights. Fuel gauges went to zero. When I realized I had a complete electrical failure, I was within air traffic area. Approached tower from southeast, waggled wings. Could not see a light gun. I had run checklist for electrical failure and recycled master -- no results, squawking 7600. Flew over tower and made right traffic for runway 21. Had no flaps when I tried to extend them. Slowed down, right turns, landed on runway 21. Tower had to send 2 airliners around who were approaching for runway 8. When tower called me, they told me I had landed on wrong runway and they had sent airliners around. When discussed with tower controller, told me I should have flown left pattern if landing on runway 21. Mechanical factors: had complete electrical failure. Mechanic said cause was overload from too many lights on for too long. Human factors: 1) tense and fatigued from poor visibility flight around volcano. 2) park never picked up subtle negative deflection of ammeter. 3) misunderstood last transmission from tower. Thought last assigned runway was runway 21. 4) my hands were full with emergency. 5) could have circled tower till got light gun. 6) should have flown standard l-hand pattern, but was fixated on right pattern because of previous clearance for right traffic runway 8. 7) distraction by loss of communication and loss of flaps. Became unsure of fuel status because of loss of gauges. 8) should use handheld radio if this ever happens again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C172 PLT ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR IN THE PATTERN OF HIS HOME ARPT. HE MISTAKENLY FLEW THE WRONG LNDG PATTERN AND CAUSED 2 ACFT TO GAR.
Narrative: ON TOURIST FLT IN RENTED C172. VISUAL CONDITIONS ON TRIP FROM KOA HAD BEEN STRESSFUL. CONTACTED HILO APCH ABOUT 15 NM SE. PAX BECAME ILL AND TOOK OFF SEAT BELT. WHEN I CONTACTED HILO TWR, TOLD TO LAND R TFC FOR RWY 8. TOLD TWR I HAD TO CIRCLE WHILE I GOT PAX SETTLED. ALL LIGHTS HAD BEEN ON FOR 2+ HRS. RADIOS BECAME INTERMITTENT. LAST HEARD FROM TWR, I THOUGHT XMISSION SAID, 'WIND SHIFT, DO YOU WANT RWY 21?' THEN I LOST ALL RADIOS, LIGHTS. FUEL GAUGES WENT TO ZERO. WHEN I REALIZED I HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE, I WAS WITHIN ATA. APCHED TWR FROM SE, WAGGLED WINGS. COULD NOT SEE A LIGHT GUN. I HAD RUN CHKLIST FOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND RECYCLED MASTER -- NO RESULTS, SQUAWKING 7600. FLEW OVER TWR AND MADE R TFC FOR RWY 21. HAD NO FLAPS WHEN I TRIED TO EXTEND THEM. SLOWED DOWN, R TURNS, LANDED ON RWY 21. TWR HAD TO SEND 2 AIRLINERS AROUND WHO WERE APCHING FOR RWY 8. WHEN TWR CALLED ME, THEY TOLD ME I HAD LANDED ON WRONG RWY AND THEY HAD SENT AIRLINERS AROUND. WHEN DISCUSSED WITH TWR CTLR, TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN L PATTERN IF LNDG ON RWY 21. MECHANICAL FACTORS: HAD COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. MECH SAID CAUSE WAS OVERLOAD FROM TOO MANY LIGHTS ON FOR TOO LONG. HUMAN FACTORS: 1) TENSE AND FATIGUED FROM POOR VISIBILITY FLT AROUND VOLCANO. 2) PARK NEVER PICKED UP SUBTLE NEGATIVE DEFLECTION OF AMMETER. 3) MISUNDERSTOOD LAST XMISSION FROM TWR. THOUGHT LAST ASSIGNED RWY WAS RWY 21. 4) MY HANDS WERE FULL WITH EMER. 5) COULD HAVE CIRCLED TWR TILL GOT LIGHT GUN. 6) SHOULD HAVE FLOWN STANDARD L-HAND PATTERN, BUT WAS FIXATED ON R PATTERN BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS CLRNC FOR R TFC RWY 8. 7) DISTR BY LOSS OF COM AND LOSS OF FLAPS. BECAME UNSURE OF FUEL STATUS BECAUSE OF LOSS OF GAUGES. 8) SHOULD USE HANDHELD RADIO IF THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
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.