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C441 crew reported the right side of the aircraft experience total electrical failure. The pilot informed the nct approach controller. The controller declared an emergency for the pilot. The nearest suitable airport was sjc, however, the nct approach controller would not allow the pilot to land there, but instead gave vectors for sck, and insisted that he land there.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 593728 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sjc.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : nct.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Twin Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 593728 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
As we were descending into sjc, with no warning, right side of panel went dark, FMS/autoplt disconnected, eps being used went dark. Asked controller for vectors telling him we had electrical problems, but he declared an emergency and diverted us to stockton, ca, despite my protests. After a few moments, everything worked normally and we made normal visual landing at stockton. We contacted 'electrical mechanic,' but since everything worked normally, there was nothing he could do. We refiled and flew from stockton to san jose uneventfully. What did we all learn from this? That controllers should not unilaterally declare emergencys, especially when the pilot(south) protests. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft was on a flight from msp to sjc with a fuel stop in rif. The pilot filed his IFR flight plan from rif to sjc with cedar city radio, from the dedicated phone line at the FBO. He picked up his clearance with ZLC and was given a clearance valid, and void time. All was normal until the electrical failure 10 mi from sjc. The pilot told the nct approach controller that he wanted to land at sjc. The approach controller would not allow this, but instead gave vectors for sck. The pilot indicated this added considerable workload. They had to deal with the electrical failure checklists, and then get maps and approach plates out for sck. The pilot was not able to recall the nct approach controller frequency he was on. He said things got a little hectic for a time. The pilot indicated that maintenance at sck was not able to find any problem. The aircraft was normal until arriving back at msp, where the same thing happened again. This time maintenance found charred and burned wiring in the #2 generator. The generator and voltage regulator were replaced. The aircraft has not had a repeat of the problem since that time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C441 CREW RPTED THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT EXPERIENCE TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE PLT INFORMED THE NCT APCH CTLR. THE CTLR DECLARED AN EMER FOR THE PLT. THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WAS SJC, HOWEVER, THE NCT APCH CTLR WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PLT TO LAND THERE, BUT INSTEAD GAVE VECTORS FOR SCK, AND INSISTED THAT HE LAND THERE.
Narrative: AS WE WERE DSNDING INTO SJC, WITH NO WARNING, R SIDE OF PANEL WENT DARK, FMS/AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED, EPS BEING USED WENT DARK. ASKED CTLR FOR VECTORS TELLING HIM WE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBS, BUT HE DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED US TO STOCKTON, CA, DESPITE MY PROTESTS. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, EVERYTHING WORKED NORMALLY AND WE MADE NORMAL VISUAL LNDG AT STOCKTON. WE CONTACTED 'ELECTRICAL MECH,' BUT SINCE EVERYTHING WORKED NORMALLY, THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. WE REFILED AND FLEW FROM STOCKTON TO SAN JOSE UNEVENTFULLY. WHAT DID WE ALL LEARN FROM THIS? THAT CTLRS SHOULD NOT UNILATERALLY DECLARE EMERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PLT(S) PROTESTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WAS ON A FLT FROM MSP TO SJC WITH A FUEL STOP IN RIF. THE PLT FILED HIS IFR FLT PLAN FROM RIF TO SJC WITH CEDAR CITY RADIO, FROM THE DEDICATED PHONE LINE AT THE FBO. HE PICKED UP HIS CLRNC WITH ZLC AND WAS GIVEN A CLRNC VALID, AND VOID TIME. ALL WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE 10 MI FROM SJC. THE PLT TOLD THE NCT APCH CTLR THAT HE WANTED TO LAND AT SJC. THE APCH CTLR WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS, BUT INSTEAD GAVE VECTORS FOR SCK. THE PLT INDICATED THIS ADDED CONSIDERABLE WORKLOAD. THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE CHKLISTS, AND THEN GET MAPS AND APCH PLATES OUT FOR SCK. THE PLT WAS NOT ABLE TO RECALL THE NCT APCH CTLR FREQ HE WAS ON. HE SAID THINGS GOT A LITTLE HECTIC FOR A TIME. THE PLT INDICATED THAT MAINT AT SCK WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY PROB. THE ACFT WAS NORMAL UNTIL ARRIVING BACK AT MSP, WHERE THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME MAINT FOUND CHARRED AND BURNED WIRING IN THE #2 GENERATOR. THE GENERATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR WERE REPLACED. THE ACFT HAS NOT HAD A REPEAT OF THE PROB SINCE THAT TIME.
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.