C177 pilot had generator failure in fxe class D airspace.

Attributes
ACN	544602
Time
Date	200204
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fxe.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 350
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 808 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	544602
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During departure landing gear retraction, the electrical system failed. The failure occurred while the landing gear was in transit. This left the gear in the unsafe state. Using a hand-held transceiver, the PNF informed the tower of the situation. The 2 pilots assessed the situation and elected to have the tower inspect the gear during a low approach. During the low approach, the tower reported that the nose gear did not appear to be fully extended. After the low approach, the pilots successfully extended the landing gear using the checklist emergency gear extension procedure. During the second low approach, the tower reported that the gear appeared to be down. A landing clearance and emergency ground equipment were requested. The pilots completed the emergency checklists. The airplane landed successfully without physical damage or injury to the occupants. Summary and recommendation: the aircraft had been idle for approximately 1 month before this flight. During preflight, it was determined that the battery was completely discharged. An APU was required to start the airplane. In the PNF's opinion, the battery had failed and the aircraft's electrical system was operating exclusively from the alternator. Without battery, the high current demand on the electrical system imposed by initial gear retraction could not be sustained by the alternator. This event most likely caused the alternator to fail. This situation could have been avoided if the aircraft's electrical system was thoroughly evaluated and properly repaired by an aviation maintenance technician before the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT HAD GENERATOR FAILURE IN FXE CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DURING DEP LNDG GEAR RETRACTION, THE ELECTRICAL SYS FAILED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE LNDG GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT. THIS LEFT THE GEAR IN THE UNSAFE STATE. USING A HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER, THE PNF INFORMED THE TWR OF THE SIT. THE 2 PLTS ASSESSED THE SIT AND ELECTED TO HAVE THE TWR INSPECT THE GEAR DURING A LOW APCH. DURING THE LOW APCH, THE TWR RPTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE FULLY EXTENDED. AFTER THE LOW APCH, THE PLTS SUCCESSFULLY EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR USING THE CHKLIST EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC. DURING THE SECOND LOW APCH, THE TWR RPTED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. A LNDG CLRNC AND EMER GND EQUIP WERE REQUESTED. THE PLTS COMPLETED THE EMER CHKLISTS. THE AIRPLANE LANDED SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT PHYSICAL DAMAGE OR INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION: THE ACFT HAD BEEN IDLE FOR APPROX 1 MONTH BEFORE THIS FLT. DURING PREFLT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DISCHARGED. AN APU WAS REQUIRED TO START THE AIRPLANE. IN THE PNF'S OPINION, THE BATTERY HAD FAILED AND THE ACFT'S ELECTRICAL SYS WAS OPERATING EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE ALTERNATOR. WITHOUT BATTERY, THE HIGH CURRENT DEMAND ON THE ELECTRICAL SYS IMPOSED BY INITIAL GEAR RETRACTION COULD NOT BE SUSTAINED BY THE ALTERNATOR. THIS EVENT MOST LIKELY CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO FAIL. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE ACFT'S ELECTRICAL SYS WAS THOROUGHLY EVALUATED AND PROPERLY REPAIRED BY AN AVIATION MAINT TECHNICIAN BEFORE THE 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.