<< >> NASA ASRS Report 445186, August 1999

Air taxi has generator failure, loses communication, enters traffic, lands. Tower says they used light signals. Pilot said he did not receive them.

Attributes
ACN	445186
Time
Date	199908
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : koa.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 30 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : koa.tower tower : sav.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : visual arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	445186
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical airspace violation : entry
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Lost my alternator during tour flight, effectively losing all communications and other electrical equipment. I entered left downwind 500 ft higher than traffic pattern altitude, rocking my wings and trying to gain tower's attention. I never got any light gun signals from the tower, and using see and avoid procedures, I opted to follow a DC9, mainly because I was circling for 15 mins and my passenger were getting sick. Upon landing, I called the tower. They said they gave me green light. I never saw it. I had prior training with light gun, and my suspicion was that the controller was flashing the wrong airplane, or the equipment malfunctioned, since I never received signals upon landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI HAS GENERATOR FAILURE, LOSES COM, ENTERS TFC, LANDS. TWR SAYS THEY USED LIGHT SIGNALS. PLT SAID HE DID NOT RECEIVE THEM.

Narrative: LOST MY ALTERNATOR DURING TOUR FLT, EFFECTIVELY LOSING ALL COMS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIP. I ENTERED L DOWNWIND 500 FT HIGHER THAN TFC PATTERN ALT, ROCKING MY WINGS AND TRYING TO GAIN TWR'S ATTN. I NEVER GOT ANY LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR, AND USING SEE AND AVOID PROCS, I OPTED TO FOLLOW A DC9, MAINLY BECAUSE I WAS CIRCLING FOR 15 MINS AND MY PAX WERE GETTING SICK. UPON LNDG, I CALLED THE TWR. THEY SAID THEY GAVE ME GREEN LIGHT. I NEVER SAW IT. I HAD PRIOR TRAINING WITH LIGHT GUN, AND MY SUSPICION WAS THAT THE CTLR WAS FLASHING THE WRONG AIRPLANE, OR THE EQUIP MALFUNCTIONED, SINCE I NEVER RECEIVED SIGNALS UPON LNDG.

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.