 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Pilot on IFR flight plan experienced alternator failure. Reversed course to land, phoned to close flight plan. Due to lack of coordination, flight plan not indicated as closed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 126349 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tay |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 202 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : ord |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other landing other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zjx |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 126349 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
Due to an undetected alternator failure, I was unable to contact center or to continue my proposed flight to charlotte, nc due to the fact that none of my radios were operational. I descended to a VFR altitude (5500), reversed course, and landed at lake city airport (31J), approximately 20 NM south of my position. On arrival at lake city, I called gainesville flight service and informed the briefer about the situation, and asked that he close my flight plan. Two witnesses, a mr X and mr Y observed me perform this action. The briefer put me on hold, came back and informed me that '...jacksonville (center) doesn't have a problem with.' I considered my responsibility accomplished. Approximately 2 hours later, still on the ground at J31, mr Y informed me that there was a phone call for me. It was a person who identified himself as the supervisor at gainesville FSS, and he wanted to know why I hadn't closed my flight plan. I explained the situation to him. Just a few mins later, a person who identified himself as the supervisor at jacksonville center called and asked me who I had spoken to at gnv FSS to close my flight plan. I don't routinely get the name of the briefer when I close, but I was able to give him a time frame when I placed my call. In the future, I plan to get the name of the briefer when faced with a similar situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN EXPERIENCED ALTERNATOR FAILURE. REVERSED COURSE TO LAND, PHONED TO CLOSE FLT PLAN. DUE TO LACK OF COORD, FLT PLAN NOT INDICATED AS CLOSED.
Narrative: DUE TO AN UNDETECTED ALTERNATOR FAILURE, I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT CENTER OR TO CONTINUE MY PROPOSED FLT TO CHARLOTTE, NC DUE TO THE FACT THAT NONE OF MY RADIOS WERE OPERATIONAL. I DESCENDED TO A VFR ALT (5500), REVERSED COURSE, AND LANDED AT LAKE CITY ARPT (31J), APPROX 20 NM S OF MY POSITION. ON ARR AT LAKE CITY, I CALLED GAINESVILLE FLT SERVICE AND INFORMED THE BRIEFER ABOUT THE SITUATION, AND ASKED THAT HE CLOSE MY FLT PLAN. TWO WITNESSES, A MR X AND MR Y OBSERVED ME PERFORM THIS ACTION. THE BRIEFER PUT ME ON HOLD, CAME BACK AND INFORMED ME THAT '...JACKSONVILLE (CENTER) DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.' I CONSIDERED MY RESPONSIBILITY ACCOMPLISHED. APPROX 2 HRS LATER, STILL ON THE GND AT J31, MR Y INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A PHONE CALL FOR ME. IT WAS A PERSON WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE SUPVR AT GAINESVILLE FSS, AND HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY I HADN'T CLOSED MY FLT PLAN. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO HIM. JUST A FEW MINS LATER, A PERSON WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE SUPVR AT JACKSONVILLE CENTER CALLED AND ASKED ME WHO I HAD SPOKEN TO AT GNV FSS TO CLOSE MY FLT PLAN. I DON'T ROUTINELY GET THE NAME OF THE BRIEFER WHEN I CLOSE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GIVE HIM A TIME FRAME WHEN I PLACED MY CALL. IN THE FUTURE, I PLAN TO GET THE NAME OF THE BRIEFER WHEN FACED WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.