<< >> NASA ASRS Report 508874, April 2001

A mooney pilot descends early after he loses his AC power while IMC at 5000 ft 20 mi southeast of waco on the way to his home field at uts, tx.

Attributes
ACN	508874
Time
Date	200104
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : act.airport
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : act.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 Scotsman
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 46.9 flight time total : 2121 flight time type : 174.2
ASRS Report	508874
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : radio other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

IFR in clouds at assigned altitude 5000 ft MSL. Waco approach control reported my mooney lost transponder signal. I tried to radio back, but only static. Then navigation/communications and GPS flickered off. Autoplt stopped functioning. I maintained altitude and heading at 5000 ft, as assigned, and continued as per filed flight plan from ama to uts. I got my battery pwred handheld GPS from flight bag, turned on and entered direct uts. Flew to LOA, tx, descended to 2000 ft MSL, GPS-a direct ambee direct kashe, then descended to 1000 ft MSL. Then had visual with airport uts, huntsville, tx. I landed and unicom reported ZHU on phone missing me. I requested that they close flight plan. Took my cell phone and called montgomery county FSS and reconfirmed that close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MOONEY PLT DSNDS EARLY AFTER HE LOSES HIS AC PWR WHILE IMC AT 5000 FT 20 MI SE OF WACO ON THE WAY TO HIS HOME FIELD AT UTS, TX.

Narrative: IFR IN CLOUDS AT ASSIGNED ALT 5000 FT MSL. WACO APCH CTL RPTED MY MOONEY LOST XPONDER SIGNAL. I TRIED TO RADIO BACK, BUT ONLY STATIC. THEN NAV/COMS AND GPS FLICKERED OFF. AUTOPLT STOPPED FUNCTIONING. I MAINTAINED ALT AND HDG AT 5000 FT, AS ASSIGNED, AND CONTINUED AS PER FILED FLT PLAN FROM AMA TO UTS. I GOT MY BATTERY PWRED HANDHELD GPS FROM FLT BAG, TURNED ON AND ENTERED DIRECT UTS. FLEW TO LOA, TX, DSNDED TO 2000 FT MSL, GPS-A DIRECT AMBEE DIRECT KASHE, THEN DSNDED TO 1000 FT MSL. THEN HAD VISUAL WITH ARPT UTS, HUNTSVILLE, TX. I LANDED AND UNICOM RPTED ZHU ON PHONE MISSING ME. I REQUESTED THAT THEY CLOSE FLT PLAN. TOOK MY CELL PHONE AND CALLED MONTGOMERY COUNTY FSS AND RECONFIRMED THAT CLOSE.

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.