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A non declared emergency situation with aircraft equipment problem when small aircraft loses it's primary electrical power source.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 201879 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199202 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : frg |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 tower : frg |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 1340 flight time type : 1029 |
| ASRS Report | 201879 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On the return flight to my home airport, (republic, farmingdale, ny,) I noticed that my alternator had shut down. Following the prescribed procedure did not result in the restoration of ammeter indication. I called my destination airport, (republic), some 25 mi away, told them of the problem, informed them I would shut all radios and transponder down, to conserve battery power for communication during landing, and asked them to notify ATC of transponder shutdown, since I was within 30-mi mode C veil. They asked me to call them at a check-point 6 mi out on final, if possible. I did, and landing was routine. I believe I did the right thing to insure a safe conclusion of the flight, but I wonder whether the transponder should have been left on, in site of the risk of depleting the battery. My feeling was, and is, that maximizing the chance for communication was more important.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A NON DECLARED EMER SITUATION WITH ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM WHEN SMA LOSES IT'S PRIMARY ELECTRICAL PWR SOURCE.
Narrative: ON THE RETURN FLT TO MY HOME ARPT, (REPUBLIC, FARMINGDALE, NY,) I NOTICED THAT MY ALTERNATOR HAD SHUT DOWN. FOLLOWING THE PRESCRIBED PROC DID NOT RESULT IN THE RESTORATION OF AMMETER INDICATION. I CALLED MY DEST ARPT, (REPUBLIC), SOME 25 MI AWAY, TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM, INFORMED THEM I WOULD SHUT ALL RADIOS AND TRANSPONDER DOWN, TO CONSERVE BATTERY PWR FOR COM DURING LNDG, AND ASKED THEM TO NOTIFY ATC OF TRANSPONDER SHUTDOWN, SINCE I WAS WITHIN 30-MI MODE C VEIL. THEY ASKED ME TO CALL THEM AT A CHK-POINT 6 MI OUT ON FINAL, IF POSSIBLE. I DID, AND LNDG WAS ROUTINE. I BELIEVE I DID THE R THING TO INSURE A SAFE CONCLUSION OF THE FLT, BUT I WONDER WHETHER THE TRANSPONDER SHOULD HAVE BEEN L ON, IN SITE OF THE RISK OF DEPLETING THE BATTERY. MY FEELING WAS, AND IS, THAT MAXIMIZING THE CHANCE FOR COM WAS MORE IMPORTANT.
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.