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A C172's alternator failed in flight resulting in a loss of electrical power and communication. The pilot landed NORDO at a nearby airport for maintenance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 793130 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200806 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 125 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 793130 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
It was my first flight in this particular aircraft and I was flying solo. I lost all electrical power while en route. I was approximately 12 NM north of ZZZ at 3500 ft MSL and first noticed unresponsive VOR's; silence on my headset; then a large ammeter discharge; then began checking other electrical components; none of which were operating. I then attempted to recycle the alternator. At that point; I made a decision to land at ZZZ as I already had the field in sight. I entered the class D airspace from the northwest and approached the tower from the west. They used a light gun to signal that it was not safe to land; I acknowledged with a waggle of my wings and circled on the west side of the tower. They then signaled that it was safe to land and I made right traffic to runway xx and landed without incident. The aircraft was diagnosed by an on-site mechanic -- a wire leading to the alternator had been severed inbtwn the baffling and cowling and had caused an alternator failure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C172'S ALTERNATOR FAILED IN FLT RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AND COM. THE PLT LANDED NORDO AT A NEARBY ARPT FOR MAINTENANCE.
Narrative: IT WAS MY FIRST FLT IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT AND I WAS FLYING SOLO. I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR WHILE ENRTE. I WAS APPROX 12 NM N OF ZZZ AT 3500 FT MSL AND FIRST NOTICED UNRESPONSIVE VOR'S; SILENCE ON MY HEADSET; THEN A LARGE AMMETER DISCHARGE; THEN BEGAN CHKING OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; NONE OF WHICH WERE OPERATING. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO RECYCLE THE ALTERNATOR. AT THAT POINT; I MADE A DECISION TO LAND AT ZZZ AS I ALREADY HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I ENTERED THE CLASS D AIRSPACE FROM THE NW AND APCHED THE TWR FROM THE W. THEY USED A LIGHT GUN TO SIGNAL THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE TO LAND; I ACKNOWLEDGED WITH A WAGGLE OF MY WINGS AND CIRCLED ON THE W SIDE OF THE TWR. THEY THEN SIGNALED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO LAND AND I MADE R TFC TO RWY XX AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN ON-SITE MECH -- A WIRE LEADING TO THE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN SEVERED INBTWN THE BAFFLING AND COWLING AND HAD CAUSED AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.