37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 597627 |
Time | |
Date | 200310 |
Day | Sun |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : srq.airport |
State Reference | FL |
Altitude | msl single value : 2100 |
Environment | |
Light | Night |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : tpa.tracon tower : srq.tower |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Piper Single Undifferentiated or Other Model |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Navigation In Use | other |
Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff cruise : level |
Route In Use | departure other |
Flight Plan | VFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : private |
Experience | controller military : 26 flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 1900 |
ASRS Report | 597627 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : local |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
Consequence | other |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After contacting clearance delivery and obtaining clearance information, I then contacted ground control and received taxi instructions and clearance to taxi to runway 14 srq. After run-up, I obtained clearance to take off. After takeoff, I climbed and turned to my assigned heading with the assigned squawk code. While climbing out on the assigned heading, the tower contacted me to verify transponder was on. I replied it was. I noticed the lights were out in the transponder. Again, the tower contacted me to verify transponder was on. Apparently, I experienced a partial loss of electrical power and the tower could not hear me. I kept cycling the transponder and radio to reestablish communication. After realizing I had lost communication, I established a level attitude and got my bearings as to my location. I am very familiar with the terrain and route rom srq to pcm. This was a pleasure flight originating at pcm to srq and return, round robin. Since I was familiar with the terrain and having a positive fix on my location by ground reference and GPS, I decided it would be safer to continue my flight to pcm by ground reference, rather than return into the traffic pattern and attempt to land back at srq without communication, and with the busy jet traffic in and out of srq. All along my route, I had positive identify as to my location and continued the flight at or below 3000 ft to remain clear of class B airspace and attempted to contact approach control with no success. The flight was continued and completed without any event or hazard. My performance, behavior, judgement and decisions were based on competency and proficiency and was conducted in a manner to prevent accident or incidence. The aircraft has been scheduled for repair and recently completed its annual inspection. It is my belief that a possible short circuit or blown fuse/breaker caused the loss of electrical power and or a drain was placed on the battery which caused lack of sufficient electrical power to operate all the equipment. Repairs will be determined and completed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA22 SINGLE PLT, DEPARTING SRQ, EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE, BECAME A NORDO ACFT, AND CONTINUED TO DEST, PCM.
Narrative: AFTER CONTACTING CLRNC DELIVERY AND OBTAINING CLRNC INFO, I THEN CONTACTED GND CTL AND RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 14 SRQ. AFTER RUN-UP, I OBTAINED CLRNC TO TAKE OFF. AFTER TKOF, I CLBED AND TURNED TO MY ASSIGNED HEADING WITH THE ASSIGNED SQUAWK CODE. WHILE CLBING OUT ON THE ASSIGNED HEADING, THE TWR CONTACTED ME TO VERIFY XPONDER WAS ON. I REPLIED IT WAS. I NOTICED THE LIGHTS WERE OUT IN THE XPONDER. AGAIN, THE TWR CONTACTED ME TO VERIFY XPONDER WAS ON. APPARENTLY, I EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR AND THE TWR COULD NOT HEAR ME. I KEPT CYCLING THE XPONDER AND RADIO TO REESTABLISH COM. AFTER REALIZING I HAD LOST COM, I ESTABLISHED A LEVEL ATTITUDE AND GOT MY BEARINGS AS TO MY LOCATION. I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN AND RTE ROM SRQ TO PCM. THIS WAS A PLEASURE FLT ORIGINATING AT PCM TO SRQ AND RETURN, ROUND ROBIN. SINCE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN AND HAVING A POSITIVE FIX ON MY LOCATION BY GND REF AND GPS, I DECIDED IT WOULD BE SAFER TO CONTINUE MY FLT TO PCM BY GND REF, RATHER THAN RETURN INTO THE TFC PATTERN AND ATTEMPT TO LAND BACK AT SRQ WITHOUT COM, AND WITH THE BUSY JET TFC IN AND OUT OF SRQ. ALL ALONG MY RTE, I HAD POSITIVE IDENT AS TO MY LOCATION AND CONTINUED THE FLT AT OR BELOW 3000 FT TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH CTL WITH NO SUCCESS. THE FLT WAS CONTINUED AND COMPLETED WITHOUT ANY EVENT OR HAZARD. MY PERFORMANCE, BEHAVIOR, JUDGEMENT AND DECISIONS WERE BASED ON COMPETENCY AND PROFICIENCY AND WAS CONDUCTED IN A MANNER TO PREVENT ACCIDENT OR INCIDENCE. THE ACFT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR AND RECENTLY COMPLETED ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT A POSSIBLE SHORT CIRCUIT OR BLOWN FUSE/BREAKER CAUSED THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR AND OR A DRAIN WAS PLACED ON THE BATTERY WHICH CAUSED LACK OF SUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL PWR TO OPERATE ALL THE EQUIP. REPAIRS WILL BE DETERMINED AND COMPLETED.
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.