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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Night training flight ends without incident after losing all electrical system over an undercast. However, a TCA class B airspace was erroneously entered on an unauthorized descent through the undercast layer.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 288970 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199411 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : n52 |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 1460 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 288970 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Due to seized bearings alternator was split in half. As a result we experienced electrical failure at 7500 ft MSL. At that time we were above unforecasted, mostly overcast layer of clouds no radar coverage was available due to terrain. Due to no airports without pilot controled lighting and mountainous terrain we decide to continue and hoping that forecast would be right (VFR -- 25000 -- overcast). We took a heading and time. We were counting big blobs of lights and trying to identify them as large cities. We also climbed to 11500 ft to get better look around. After time for descent came up, we started quick descent. We entered clouds at 8000 ft MSL and broke out at 6000 ft 5 mi away from the destination. Unfortunately we also clipped part of class 'B' airspace although we were unable to activate runway lights. Uneventful landing was made on unlighted runway. Due to very early hour on a sunday we believe no other planes were within 20 mi of us at any time. In conclusion: time to get a hand held radio and maybe portable GPS. We were lucky wee hours of the day reduced risk of collision. Know all airports where runway lights are on all night!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NIGHT TRAINING FLT ENDS WITHOUT INCIDENT AFTER LOSING ALL ELECTRICAL SYS OVER AN UNDERCAST. HOWEVER, A TCA CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED ON AN UNAUTH DSCNT THROUGH THE UNDERCAST LAYER.
Narrative: DUE TO SEIZED BEARINGS ALTERNATOR WAS SPLIT IN HALF. AS A RESULT WE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT 7500 FT MSL. AT THAT TIME WE WERE ABOVE UNFORECASTED, MOSTLY OVCST LAYER OF CLOUDS NO RADAR COVERAGE WAS AVAILABLE DUE TO TERRAIN. DUE TO NO ARPTS WITHOUT PLT CTLED LIGHTING AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WE DECIDE TO CONTINUE AND HOPING THAT FORECAST WOULD BE RIGHT (VFR -- 25000 -- OVCST). WE TOOK A HDG AND TIME. WE WERE COUNTING BIG BLOBS OF LIGHTS AND TRYING TO IDENT THEM AS LARGE CITIES. WE ALSO CLBED TO 11500 FT TO GET BETTER LOOK AROUND. AFTER TIME FOR DSCNT CAME UP, WE STARTED QUICK DSCNT. WE ENTERED CLOUDS AT 8000 FT MSL AND BROKE OUT AT 6000 FT 5 MI AWAY FROM THE DEST. UNFORTUNATELY WE ALSO CLIPPED PART OF CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE ALTHOUGH WE WERE UNABLE TO ACTIVATE RWY LIGHTS. UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE ON UNLIGHTED RWY. DUE TO VERY EARLY HR ON A SUNDAY WE BELIEVE NO OTHER PLANES WERE WITHIN 20 MI OF US AT ANY TIME. IN CONCLUSION: TIME TO GET A HAND HELD RADIO AND MAYBE PORTABLE GPS. WE WERE LUCKY WEE HRS OF THE DAY REDUCED RISK OF COLLISION. KNOW ALL ARPTS WHERE RWY LIGHTS ARE ON ALL NIGHT!
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.