 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A C180 pilot with an electrical system failure made an emergency off field landing in deteriorating WX.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 701297 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200606 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Fog |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 180 Skywagon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| 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 : 5000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 701297 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Weather |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Electrical system in airplane had failed. Unsure of position; felt WX was deteriorating. Decided to make an emergency landing. I am very sorry that this had happened. I'll never do it again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he landed on a state highway in decreasing visibility with unfamiliar visual markers and a compass he could not read in the dark. A highway patrolman was upset with him but he had immediately taxied off the road and out of the traffic lanes. The reporter told the patrolman he could have landed any place he chose because he had declared an emergency. The reporter stated the electrical failure occurred because the alternator circuit breaker popped. Earlier in the day when he started the flight; the battery was dead. The long process of charging the battery overheated the circuit and the breaker popped during his flight; but he didn't catch it. The following morning traffic on the highway was blocked to allow him to depart on the highway.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C180 PLT WITH AN ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE MADE AN EMER OFF FIELD LNDG IN DETERIORATING WX.
Narrative: ELECTRICAL SYS IN AIRPLANE HAD FAILED. UNSURE OF POS; FELT WX WAS DETERIORATING. DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG. I AM VERY SORRY THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED. I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE LANDED ON A STATE HWY IN DECREASING VISIBILITY WITH UNFAMILIAR VISUAL MARKERS AND A COMPASS HE COULD NOT READ IN THE DARK. A HWY PATROLMAN WAS UPSET WITH HIM BUT HE HAD IMMEDIATELY TAXIED OFF THE ROAD AND OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANES. THE RPTR TOLD THE PATROLMAN HE COULD HAVE LANDED ANY PLACE HE CHOSE BECAUSE HE HAD DECLARED AN EMER. THE RPTR STATED THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE OCCURRED BECAUSE THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. EARLIER IN THE DAY WHEN HE STARTED THE FLT; THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THE LONG PROCESS OF CHARGING THE BATTERY OVERHEATED THE CIRCUIT AND THE BREAKER POPPED DURING HIS FLT; BUT HE DIDN'T CATCH IT. THE FOLLOWING MORNING TRAFFIC ON THE HWY WAS BLOCKED TO ALLOW HIM TO DEPART ON THE HWY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.