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A C172 commercial pilot lands at vero beach without radio contact after experiencing a primary electrical supply problem west of vrb, fl.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 462243 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200002 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : vrb.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : vrb.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 380 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 462243 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical airspace violation : entry incursion : runway incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : elec eq. other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While holding at bueye intersection at 2500 ft MSL was in contact with ZMA waiting for clearance for VOR runway 11R approach to vero beach. Transponder failed and ZMA, after trying to have me reset transponder without success, had me change squawk to 1200. Then ADF began to blink, all gauges went to zero. Loud buzzing noise started that would not stop, radios failed. Ammeter showed normal, all circuit breakers in. I could smell smoke and feared electrical failure/fire due to smell and loud noise (electrical short?) there were 2 uncontrolled fields nearby, X26 and X52, but since by this time I had shut off master I didn't want to go to X26 (parachute jumping was in progress) only to find X52 (a grass strip) but rather to land as soon as possible. Also presumed vrb had emergency services. I descended to 1000 ft and entered left downwind for runway 4. Tried to contact tower using hand-held and declare mayday but could not contact tower. Flew pattern, landed runway 4, and after shutdown called tower to explain what happened. Subsequent inspection revealed no fire, just alternator failure and dead battery. If I had known that, I would have flown NORDO to X52 but given my concern of fire at the time I think I did the best thing. I also put new batteries in the hand-held. Not much help when the batteries are weak.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C172 COMMERCIAL PLT LANDS AT VERO BEACH WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT AFTER EXPERIENCING A PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY PROB W OF VRB, FL.
Narrative: WHILE HOLDING AT BUEYE INTXN AT 2500 FT MSL WAS IN CONTACT WITH ZMA WAITING FOR CLRNC FOR VOR RWY 11R APCH TO VERO BEACH. XPONDER FAILED AND ZMA, AFTER TRYING TO HAVE ME RESET XPONDER WITHOUT SUCCESS, HAD ME CHANGE SQUAWK TO 1200. THEN ADF BEGAN TO BLINK, ALL GAUGES WENT TO ZERO. LOUD BUZZING NOISE STARTED THAT WOULD NOT STOP, RADIOS FAILED. AMMETER SHOWED NORMAL, ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS IN. I COULD SMELL SMOKE AND FEARED ELECTRICAL FAILURE/FIRE DUE TO SMELL AND LOUD NOISE (ELECTRICAL SHORT?) THERE WERE 2 UNCTLED FIELDS NEARBY, X26 AND X52, BUT SINCE BY THIS TIME I HAD SHUT OFF MASTER I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO X26 (PARACHUTE JUMPING WAS IN PROGRESS) ONLY TO FIND X52 (A GRASS STRIP) BUT RATHER TO LAND ASAP. ALSO PRESUMED VRB HAD EMER SVCS. I DSNDED TO 1000 FT AND ENTERED L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4. TRIED TO CONTACT TWR USING HAND-HELD AND DECLARE MAYDAY BUT COULD NOT CONTACT TWR. FLEW PATTERN, LANDED RWY 4, AND AFTER SHUTDOWN CALLED TWR TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO FIRE, JUST ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND DEAD BATTERY. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT, I WOULD HAVE FLOWN NORDO TO X52 BUT GIVEN MY CONCERN OF FIRE AT THE TIME I THINK I DID THE BEST THING. I ALSO PUT NEW BATTERIES IN THE HAND-HELD. NOT MUCH HELP WHEN THE BATTERIES ARE WEAK.
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.