A PA28 pilot experiences a loss of his alternator on the way to bed, ma. Once there, and aircraft re...

Attributes
ACN	426630
Time
Date	199901
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bed.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sea
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Baron 58/58TC
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : parked landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2371 flight time type : 137
ASRS Report	426630
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

En route VFR teb-bed. GPS started acting up, finally stopped displaying information. Appeared to be shutting down. Check on ammeter indicated no draw. Alternator light barely illuminated. Tried to reset alternator, it did not work. Checked poh (pilot operating handbook) to confirm my procedures (I was corrected). Notified ATC of my alternator inoperative, told them I planned to continue VFR to bed and would be using my hand-held communication radio if necessary. Shut down all electrical except transponder and #1 navcom. Landed at bed uneventfully. Mechanics found 2 broken wires and replaced them. Incidentally, I was going to bed for a pre-buy inspection of a client's baron 58. While mechanics were fixing this, I flew (as passenger) with the baron owner to observe autoplt operations and avionics. He flew 2 practice ILS approachs at lwm and we landed uneventfully back at bed. I noticed a blue streak on r-hand engine cowl rear oil filler door. During subsequent probing, mechanic said a fuel line was leaking onto engine and we were lucky not to have had a fire. He said we were very fortunate. I guess this was my lucky day. (The baron had just flown in from a 1 hour flight.)

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT EXPERIENCES A LOSS OF HIS ALTERNATOR ON THE WAY TO BED, MA. ONCE THERE, AND ACFT REPAIRED, HE HAS A RIDE IN A BE58 BARON, ON A PRE-SALE INSPECTION. ONCE BACK ON THE GND A FUEL LEAK IS DISCOVERED THAT COULD HAVE CREATED A FIRE. THE RPTR SAYS IT WAS HIS LUCKY DAY.

Narrative: ENRTE VFR TEB-BED. GPS STARTED ACTING UP, FINALLY STOPPED DISPLAYING INFO. APPEARED TO BE SHUTTING DOWN. CHK ON AMMETER INDICATED NO DRAW. ALTERNATOR LIGHT BARELY ILLUMINATED. TRIED TO RESET ALTERNATOR, IT DID NOT WORK. CHKED POH (PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK) TO CONFIRM MY PROCS (I WAS CORRECTED). NOTIFIED ATC OF MY ALTERNATOR INOP, TOLD THEM I PLANNED TO CONTINUE VFR TO BED AND WOULD BE USING MY HAND-HELD COM RADIO IF NECESSARY. SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL EXCEPT XPONDER AND #1 NAVCOM. LANDED AT BED UNEVENTFULLY. MECHS FOUND 2 BROKEN WIRES AND REPLACED THEM. INCIDENTALLY, I WAS GOING TO BED FOR A PRE-BUY INSPECTION OF A CLIENT'S BARON 58. WHILE MECHS WERE FIXING THIS, I FLEW (AS PAX) WITH THE BARON OWNER TO OBSERVE AUTOPLT OPS AND AVIONICS. HE FLEW 2 PRACTICE ILS APCHS AT LWM AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY BACK AT BED. I NOTICED A BLUE STREAK ON R-HAND ENG COWL REAR OIL FILLER DOOR. DURING SUBSEQUENT PROBING, MECH SAID A FUEL LINE WAS LEAKING ONTO ENG AND WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD A FIRE. HE SAID WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE. I GUESS THIS WAS MY LUCKY DAY. (THE BARON HAD JUST FLOWN IN FROM A 1 HR FLT.)

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 PA28 pilot experiences a loss of his alternator on the way to bed, ma. Once there, and aircraft repaired, he has a ride in a BE58 baron, on a pre-sale inspection. Once back on the ground a fuel leak is discovered that could have created a fire. The reporter says it was his lucky day.