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On climb out, aircraft experiences electrical problems. Must execute gear up landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 239543 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199304 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : stj |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 239543 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On climb out of st joseph, mo, the aircraft began experiencing electrical problems which affected any gauge or piece of equipment pwred by electricity. Checklist procedures were followed. The electrical power was reset to normal operation and the climb out continued. 2 mins later the same thing happened. The checklist again was followed and power was restored. This time the right generator switch was not turned back on since it had tripped off line twice. Within 90 seconds the bus tie relay failed and dropped the left generator off the system. The fluctuations continued in the electrical system. All switches except for the #1 communication/navigation radio were turned off. A turn back to stj was made. At this point, the landing gear switch was thrown down. The nose gear door came open but that's all. The battery was turned off to conserve what was left since something was drawing juice at a great rate. The checklist was consulted and the manual gear lowering checklist was performed. After 3-4 revolutions, the handle became nearly impossible to move. I began circling the field and tried to raise some attention. This was to no avail. I didn't have enough battery to operate the radio and no one saw me on the ground. I circled over and around runway 17 and the ramp area trying in vain to get the gear down manually and electrically by attempting to reset a generator and get the bus tie closed. These attempts failed. As darkness got closer, a plowed field was picked east of the north/south parallel taxiway east of runway 17. A 3 mi straight-in was flown. The propellers were feathered just prior to touchdown. After touchdown, the aircraft slid straight ahead 50-75 ft. The engines, fuel selectors and any remaining switches were turned off. I egressed the aircraft and visually inspected for damage. No ruptures of fuel leaks were found and the aircraft was secured. Damage has been assessed as minimal. I can't think of anything else possible to lower the gear. FAA classified this as an incident. The battery was svced just prior to takeoff but load meter readings showed good as well as the battery showing charging. Each generator therefore was working properly with the bus tie closed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ON CLBOUT, ACFT EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL PROBS. MUST EXECUTE GEAR UP LNDG.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT OF ST JOSEPH, MO, THE ACFT BEGAN EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBS WHICH AFFECTED ANY GAUGE OR PIECE OF EQUIP PWRED BY ELECTRICITY. CHKLIST PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. THE ELECTRICAL PWR WAS RESET TO NORMAL OP AND THE CLBOUT CONTINUED. 2 MINS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE CHKLIST AGAIN WAS FOLLOWED AND PWR WAS RESTORED. THIS TIME THE R GENERATOR SWITCH WAS NOT TURNED BACK ON SINCE IT HAD TRIPPED OFF LINE TWICE. WITHIN 90 SECONDS THE BUS TIE RELAY FAILED AND DROPPED THE L GENERATOR OFF THE SYS. THE FLUCTUATIONS CONTINUED IN THE ELECTRICAL SYS. ALL SWITCHES EXCEPT FOR THE #1 COM/NAV RADIO WERE TURNED OFF. A TURN BACK TO STJ WAS MADE. AT THIS POINT, THE LNDG GEAR SWITCH WAS THROWN DOWN. THE NOSE GEAR DOOR CAME OPEN BUT THAT'S ALL. THE BATTERY WAS TURNED OFF TO CONSERVE WHAT WAS LEFT SINCE SOMETHING WAS DRAWING JUICE AT A GREAT RATE. THE CHKLIST WAS CONSULTED AND THE MANUAL GEAR LOWERING CHKLIST WAS PERFORMED. AFTER 3-4 REVOLUTIONS, THE HANDLE BECAME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE. I BEGAN CIRCLING THE FIELD AND TRIED TO RAISE SOME ATTN. THIS WAS TO NO AVAIL. I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH BATTERY TO OPERATE THE RADIO AND NO ONE SAW ME ON THE GND. I CIRCLED OVER AND AROUND RWY 17 AND THE RAMP AREA TRYING IN VAIN TO GET THE GEAR DOWN MANUALLY AND ELECTRICALLY BY ATTEMPTING TO RESET A GENERATOR AND GET THE BUS TIE CLOSED. THESE ATTEMPTS FAILED. AS DARKNESS GOT CLOSER, A PLOWED FIELD WAS PICKED E OF THE N/S PARALLEL TXWY E OF RWY 17. A 3 MI STRAIGHT-IN WAS FLOWN. THE PROPS WERE FEATHERED JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT SLID STRAIGHT AHEAD 50-75 FT. THE ENGS, FUEL SELECTORS AND ANY REMAINING SWITCHES WERE TURNED OFF. I EGRESSED THE ACFT AND VISUALLY INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE. NO RUPTURES OF FUEL LEAKS WERE FOUND AND THE ACFT WAS SECURED. DAMAGE HAS BEEN ASSESSED AS MINIMAL. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE POSSIBLE TO LOWER THE GEAR. FAA CLASSIFIED THIS AS AN INCIDENT. THE BATTERY WAS SVCED JUST PRIOR TO TKOF BUT LOAD METER READINGS SHOWED GOOD AS WELL AS THE BATTERY SHOWING CHARGING. EACH GENERATOR THEREFORE WAS WORKING PROPERLY WITH THE BUS TIE CLOSED.
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.