Narrative:

The pilot filed an instrument flight plan for a departure from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. Conditions were VFR; with the sky clear and visibility unrestr at the time of the incident. ZZZ1 is an uncontrolled airport. Pilot obtained clearance on ground just prior to departure. Pilot received clearance to turn to heading 090 degrees once in controled airspace; climb to 2000 ft and expect 19000 ft in 10 mins. The pilot departed ZZZ1 on runway xx at approximately XA37 am; climbed to approximately 700 ft and engaged the autoplt which commenced a turn toward a preset heading of 090 degrees. Pilot's attempts to contact departure following departure and during climb out were unsuccessful. Pilot switched radios; checked the audio panel; attempted to reestablish communication; and attempted to determine the source of issue; without initial success. The radios were powered up; however; radios would not transmit; and the receive signals were intermittent and extremely weak. Additional electrical system issues were observed including intermittent indicators lights. Based on the apparent electrical system problems; loss of effective radio communications; and lack of ATC control of or communications with aircraft in the vicinity of ZZZ1; the pilot's immediate focus and effort was to maintain VFR flight in visual meteorological conditions; maintain visual separation from all other aircraft; and maintain safe control of the aircraft while attempting to restore the electrical and communications system. Additional in-flight inspection revealed no output from either of the alternators and the system voltage had dropped to approximately 18-20V. The pilot observed both alternators in the on position. However; recycling of 1 of the alternator switches partially restored the charging system and provided additional voltage. Within approximately 3-4 mins of departure; and while still trying to resolve the electrical and communication system problems; the pilot eventually established initial contact with departure control; albeit somewhat limited and difficult to understand. Amongst the distrs and confusion; and while still attempting to completely restore the electrical system; the pilot attempted to establish initial contact and request to continue a climb through 2500 ft. Additional radio communications problems ensued; where the pilot understood the controller to be acknowledging the climb from either 2000 ft or 2500 ft to 20000 ft and requesting the pilot to confirm the same. When trying to confirm the climb and altitudes; the controller grew increasingly frustrated and advised the pilot that he was filed to 19000 ft and cleared to 2000 ft at 090 degrees. The pilot apologized for the confusion and attempted to convey to the controller that he was experiencing problems with the aircraft's system. The pilot then attempted to acknowledge and comply with the same; however; the controller issued new instructions to climb to a new altitude and new course heading. Irrespective of the problems and distrs the pilot was dealing with; the controller appeared to grow increasingly frustrated and requested the pilot copy a phone number several times during this period; which further rattled the pilot as he tried to maintain control; fully reestablish the electrical and communications system; as well as reprogram the navigation and autoplt system. The total duration involving the incident was approximately 4 mins which occurred within approximately 5 mi of ZZZ1. The pilot was able to successfully maintain adequate visual separation from all other aircraft in the vicinity of the class east airspace during that time. The remainder of the flight was completed without further issue. After landing at ZZZ2 the pilot called the number and advised of the electrical system failure; loss of communications and autoplt problem. The ATC person took the pilot's information and advised that no other aircraft were in the immediate area at the time of the incident and confirmed that no aircraft separation conflicts had occurred involving the pilot's aircraft. Evaluate of the electrical and communication system during the incident revealed that the over-voltage regulators had tripped. The system voltage had dropped to approximately 18-20V; which caused the radio displays to remain powered up but not able to transmit or receive properly. The failure also introduced other related issues including interruption of autoplt part way through the initial turn and leaving the trim in a continued climb state. Recycling of both alternators eventually reestablished the correct system voltage and proper operation of the aircraft's system. Following the incident; the pilot carefully considered the situation and took the following actions to avoid any future occurrence: 1) the subject aircraft's voltage regulators were again checked and recalibrated after the incident to ensure correct operation; 2) the entire communication and navigation system was scheduled to be replaced with a completely new system prior to the incident; 3) the pilot obtained additional training surrounding emergency procedures and how to best handle and manage prioritization of ATC request during system failures. The review included proper procedural and communication protocol during system failures; emergencys and high stress situations in addition to proper ATC communications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRESSURIZED C210 PLT EXPERIENCES LOSS OF AC GENERATION AND COM DIFFICULTIES WHILE ON AN IFR FLT.

Narrative: THE PLT FILED AN INST FLT PLAN FOR A DEP FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. CONDITIONS WERE VFR; WITH THE SKY CLR AND VISIBILITY UNRESTR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ZZZ1 IS AN UNCTLED ARPT. PLT OBTAINED CLRNC ON GND JUST PRIOR TO DEP. PLT RECEIVED CLRNC TO TURN TO HDG 090 DEGS ONCE IN CTLED AIRSPACE; CLB TO 2000 FT AND EXPECT 19000 FT IN 10 MINS. THE PLT DEPARTED ZZZ1 ON RWY XX AT APPROX XA37 AM; CLBED TO APPROX 700 FT AND ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT WHICH COMMENCED A TURN TOWARD A PRESET HDG OF 090 DEGS. PLT'S ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT DEP FOLLOWING DEP AND DURING CLBOUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. PLT SWITCHED RADIOS; CHKED THE AUDIO PANEL; ATTEMPTED TO REESTABLISH COM; AND ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF ISSUE; WITHOUT INITIAL SUCCESS. THE RADIOS WERE POWERED UP; HOWEVER; RADIOS WOULD NOT XMIT; AND THE RECEIVE SIGNALS WERE INTERMITTENT AND EXTREMELY WEAK. ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL SYS ISSUES WERE OBSERVED INCLUDING INTERMITTENT INDICATORS LIGHTS. BASED ON THE APPARENT ELECTRICAL SYS PROBS; LOSS OF EFFECTIVE RADIO COMS; AND LACK OF ATC CTL OF OR COMS WITH ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF ZZZ1; THE PLT'S IMMEDIATE FOCUS AND EFFORT WAS TO MAINTAIN VFR FLT IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS; MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM ALL OTHER ACFT; AND MAINTAIN SAFE CTL OF THE ACFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE THE ELECTRICAL AND COMS SYS. ADDITIONAL INFLT INSPECTION REVEALED NO OUTPUT FROM EITHER OF THE ALTERNATORS AND THE SYS VOLTAGE HAD DROPPED TO APPROX 18-20V. THE PLT OBSERVED BOTH ALTERNATORS IN THE ON POS. HOWEVER; RECYCLING OF 1 OF THE ALTERNATOR SWITCHES PARTIALLY RESTORED THE CHARGING SYS AND PROVIDED ADDITIONAL VOLTAGE. WITHIN APPROX 3-4 MINS OF DEP; AND WHILE STILL TRYING TO RESOLVE THE ELECTRICAL AND COM SYS PROBS; THE PLT EVENTUALLY ESTABLISHED INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP CTL; ALBEIT SOMEWHAT LIMITED AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. AMONGST THE DISTRS AND CONFUSION; AND WHILE STILL ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETELY RESTORE THE ELECTRICAL SYS; THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH INITIAL CONTACT AND REQUEST TO CONTINUE A CLB THROUGH 2500 FT. ADDITIONAL RADIO COMS PROBS ENSUED; WHERE THE PLT UNDERSTOOD THE CTLR TO BE ACKNOWLEDGING THE CLB FROM EITHER 2000 FT OR 2500 FT TO 20000 FT AND REQUESTING THE PLT TO CONFIRM THE SAME. WHEN TRYING TO CONFIRM THE CLB AND ALTS; THE CTLR GREW INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED AND ADVISED THE PLT THAT HE WAS FILED TO 19000 FT AND CLRED TO 2000 FT AT 090 DEGS. THE PLT APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION AND ATTEMPTED TO CONVEY TO THE CTLR THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBS WITH THE ACFT'S SYS. THE PLT THEN ATTEMPTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND COMPLY WITH THE SAME; HOWEVER; THE CTLR ISSUED NEW INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO A NEW ALT AND NEW COURSE HDG. IRRESPECTIVE OF THE PROBS AND DISTRS THE PLT WAS DEALING WITH; THE CTLR APPEARED TO GROW INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED AND REQUESTED THE PLT COPY A PHONE NUMBER SEVERAL TIMES DURING THIS PERIOD; WHICH FURTHER RATTLED THE PLT AS HE TRIED TO MAINTAIN CTL; FULLY REESTABLISH THE ELECTRICAL AND COMS SYS; AS WELL AS REPROGRAM THE NAV AND AUTOPLT SYS. THE TOTAL DURATION INVOLVING THE INCIDENT WAS APPROX 4 MINS WHICH OCCURRED WITHIN APPROX 5 MI OF ZZZ1. THE PLT WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VISUAL SEPARATION FROM ALL OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF THE CLASS E AIRSPACE DURING THAT TIME. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE. AFTER LNDG AT ZZZ2 THE PLT CALLED THE NUMBER AND ADVISED OF THE ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE; LOSS OF COMS AND AUTOPLT PROB. THE ATC PERSON TOOK THE PLT'S INFO AND ADVISED THAT NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND CONFIRMED THAT NO ACFT SEPARATION CONFLICTS HAD OCCURRED INVOLVING THE PLT'S ACFT. EVAL OF THE ELECTRICAL AND COM SYS DURING THE INCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE OVER-VOLTAGE REGULATORS HAD TRIPPED. THE SYS VOLTAGE HAD DROPPED TO APPROX 18-20V; WHICH CAUSED THE RADIO DISPLAYS TO REMAIN POWERED UP BUT NOT ABLE TO XMIT OR RECEIVE PROPERLY. THE FAILURE ALSO INTRODUCED OTHER RELATED ISSUES INCLUDING INTERRUPTION OF AUTOPLT PART WAY THROUGH THE INITIAL TURN AND LEAVING THE TRIM IN A CONTINUED CLB STATE. RECYCLING OF BOTH ALTERNATORS EVENTUALLY REESTABLISHED THE CORRECT SYS VOLTAGE AND PROPER OP OF THE ACFT'S SYS. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT; THE PLT CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE SITUATION AND TOOK THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS TO AVOID ANY FUTURE OCCURRENCE: 1) THE SUBJECT ACFT'S VOLTAGE REGULATORS WERE AGAIN CHKED AND RECALIBRATED AFTER THE INCIDENT TO ENSURE CORRECT OP; 2) THE ENTIRE COM AND NAV SYS WAS SCHEDULED TO BE REPLACED WITH A COMPLETELY NEW SYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT; 3) THE PLT OBTAINED ADDITIONAL TRAINING SURROUNDING EMER PROCS AND HOW TO BEST HANDLE AND MANAGE PRIORITIZATION OF ATC REQUEST DURING SYS FAILURES. THE REVIEW INCLUDED PROPER PROCEDURAL AND COM PROTOCOL DURING SYS FAILURES; EMERS AND HIGH STRESS SITUATIONS IN ADDITION TO PROPER ATC COMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.