Narrative:

Alternator failure (no light), complete electrical failure, followed in about 5 mins by engine rough, then very rough and loss of power. Emergency landing on road. No damage of any kind. Mechanics found alternator failure, but no reason for engine problem. Sending oil for analysis. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the alternator had sheared its clutch. This made an initial demand or pull on the engine during the primary stages of the clutch failure. The engine was just newly overhauled. The maintenance facility had not rebuilt the alternator, but had merely inspected it and deemed it satisfactory for reinstallation. The pilot laments the fact that he did not perform well when the failure occurred. He knew later that he should have gone through the 'basic' emergency fuel procedures of 'mixture, gas selector, propeller' but hadn't. He was distraction by the fact that when the alternator went out, everything, all the engine instruments, cylinder head temperature[south, oil temperature, oil pressure, went 'black' or blank. He thought that along with the initial stuttering of the engine, that he had completely lost the engine. In reality, as he descended, looking for a field or road, he was getting a leaner than required fuel air mixture which exacerbated the supposed condition. The reporter stated that he was 'not thinking clearly,' and had the last min realization that the gear was still up when he had planned for a road landing. The back seat passenger got the gear down with the hand pump which is located, very inconveniently, under the rear passenger seat. Reporter admits that his past training modes had been disregarded as the simulated events he had experienced did not have the failed engine instruments to lead his mind set in false directions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMER OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG IN A BE33 BY A PVT PLT AFTER A COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL AND A ROUGH RUNNING ENG NEAR BLYTHE, CA.

Narrative: ALTERNATOR FAILURE (NO LIGHT), COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE, FOLLOWED IN ABOUT 5 MINS BY ENG ROUGH, THEN VERY ROUGH AND LOSS OF PWR. EMER LNDG ON ROAD. NO DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. MECHS FOUND ALTERNATOR FAILURE, BUT NO REASON FOR ENG PROB. SENDING OIL FOR ANALYSIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ALTERNATOR HAD SHEARED ITS CLUTCH. THIS MADE AN INITIAL DEMAND OR PULL ON THE ENG DURING THE PRIMARY STAGES OF THE CLUTCH FAILURE. THE ENG WAS JUST NEWLY OVERHAULED. THE MAINT FACILITY HAD NOT REBUILT THE ALTERNATOR, BUT HAD MERELY INSPECTED IT AND DEEMED IT SATISFACTORY FOR REINSTALLATION. THE PLT LAMENTS THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT PERFORM WELL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. HE KNEW LATER THAT HE SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE 'BASIC' EMER FUEL PROCS OF 'MIXTURE, GAS SELECTOR, PROP' BUT HADN'T. HE WAS DISTR BY THE FACT THAT WHEN THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT, EVERYTHING, ALL THE ENG INSTS, CYLINDER HEAD TEMP[S, OIL TEMP, OIL PRESSURE, WENT 'BLACK' OR BLANK. HE THOUGHT THAT ALONG WITH THE INITIAL STUTTERING OF THE ENG, THAT HE HAD COMPLETELY LOST THE ENG. IN REALITY, AS HE DSNDED, LOOKING FOR A FIELD OR ROAD, HE WAS GETTING A LEANER THAN REQUIRED FUEL AIR MIXTURE WHICH EXACERBATED THE SUPPOSED CONDITION. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS 'NOT THINKING CLRLY,' AND HAD THE LAST MIN REALIZATION THAT THE GEAR WAS STILL UP WHEN HE HAD PLANNED FOR A ROAD LNDG. THE BACK SEAT PAX GOT THE GEAR DOWN WITH THE HAND PUMP WHICH IS LOCATED, VERY INCONVENIENTLY, UNDER THE REAR PAX SEAT. RPTR ADMITS THAT HIS PAST TRAINING MODES HAD BEEN DISREGARDED AS THE SIMULATED EVENTS HE HAD EXPERIENCED DID NOT HAVE THE FAILED ENG INSTS TO LEAD HIS MIND SET IN FALSE DIRECTIONS.

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.