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Piper PA28 pilot became distraction due to electrical alternator failure and overshot an intermediate altitude during VFR descent on an IFR flight plan.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 545466 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200204 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tys.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : tys.tracon tower : crg.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 2850 flight time type : 575 |
| ASRS Report | 545466 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I was en route from athens, GA, to lex, ky, via vxv and discovered we had an alternator failure. We still had electrical power via our battery. Advised ATC we would deviate to tys. Was being vectored to airport by approach control and cleared from 6000 ft MSL to 4000 ft MSL. While discussing with ATC our contingency plans in case of loss of battery power, I noticed I was still descending through 3500 ft MSL at 500 FPM. We were in visual conditions and could see the airport and were also looking for traffic called to us. I then realized we were only cleared to 4000 ft MSL. I asked the controller and he said 4000 ft was correct and now we were cleared to 2500 ft MSL. This was a classic situation of not flying the airplane. Since we were visual and airport in sight, I let my guard down. I was focused on staying ahead of the aircraft and planning, I lost track of current aircraft status. Slow down and fly aircraft. Stop talking when within 500 ft of assigned altitude.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PIPER PA28 PLT BECAME DISTR DUE TO ELECTRICAL ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND OVERSHOT AN INTERMEDIATE ALT DURING VFR DSCNT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN.
Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM ATHENS, GA, TO LEX, KY, VIA VXV AND DISCOVERED WE HAD AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE. WE STILL HAD ELECTRICAL PWR VIA OUR BATTERY. ADVISED ATC WE WOULD DEVIATE TO TYS. WAS BEING VECTORED TO ARPT BY APCH CTL AND CLRED FROM 6000 FT MSL TO 4000 FT MSL. WHILE DISCUSSING WITH ATC OUR CONTINGENCY PLANS IN CASE OF LOSS OF BATTERY PWR, I NOTICED I WAS STILL DSNDING THROUGH 3500 FT MSL AT 500 FPM. WE WERE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS AND COULD SEE THE ARPT AND WERE ALSO LOOKING FOR TFC CALLED TO US. I THEN REALIZED WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 4000 FT MSL. I ASKED THE CTLR AND HE SAID 4000 FT WAS CORRECT AND NOW WE WERE CLRED TO 2500 FT MSL. THIS WAS A CLASSIC SIT OF NOT FLYING THE AIRPLANE. SINCE WE WERE VISUAL AND ARPT IN SIGHT, I LET MY GUARD DOWN. I WAS FOCUSED ON STAYING AHEAD OF THE ACFT AND PLANNING, I LOST TRACK OF CURRENT ACFT STATUS. SLOW DOWN AND FLY ACFT. STOP TALKING WHEN WITHIN 500 FT OF ASSIGNED ALT.
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.