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Supplemental carrier small transport with electrical problem and possible fire made emergency precautionary landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 86803 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198805 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : emt |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 4500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : emt artcc : zse |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 1990 flight time type : 95 |
| ASRS Report | 86803 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Smoke in cockpit and possible electrical fire during cruise. Turned off master and smoke went away. All electrical equipment off and mast on produced no smoke but no battery power available. Alternator voltage regulator. Circuit breaker's popped. Reset one voltage regulator circuit breaker and used #2 communication in attempt to tell coast approach of problem. Situation: flying after sunset with no navigation lights or beacon, or any electrical equipment operating. Entered el monte traffic pattern and was able to tell them electrical failure and requested landing clearance. Got landing clearance and landed. During xmissions I could only talk or listen for 3 seconds before breakers popped. After landing I secured aircraft and called my company telling them of situation. By this time tower was closed and unable to explain situation to them. I plan on talking with them (el monte tower) but filing this just to cover myself. I noticed only other aircraft in pattern going around while I was attempting to get landing clearance which took about 5 mins as tower could not see me to give me light go around signals and I could only transmit or receive for 3 seconds at a time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SUPPLEMENTAL CARRIER SMT WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND POSSIBLE FIRE MADE EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.
Narrative: SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE DURING CRUISE. TURNED OFF MASTER AND SMOKE WENT AWAY. ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP OFF AND MAST ON PRODUCED NO SMOKE BUT NO BATTERY PWR AVAILABLE. ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE REGULATOR. CB'S POPPED. RESET ONE VOLTAGE REGULATOR CB AND USED #2 COM IN ATTEMPT TO TELL COAST APCH OF PROB. SITUATION: FLYING AFTER SUNSET WITH NO NAV LIGHTS OR BEACON, OR ANY ELECTRICAL EQUIP OPERATING. ENTERED EL MONTE TFC PATTERN AND WAS ABLE TO TELL THEM ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND REQUESTED LNDG CLRNC. GOT LNDG CLRNC AND LANDED. DURING XMISSIONS I COULD ONLY TALK OR LISTEN FOR 3 SECS BEFORE BREAKERS POPPED. AFTER LNDG I SECURED ACFT AND CALLED MY COMPANY TELLING THEM OF SITUATION. BY THIS TIME TWR WAS CLOSED AND UNABLE TO EXPLAIN SITUATION TO THEM. I PLAN ON TALKING WITH THEM (EL MONTE TWR) BUT FILING THIS JUST TO COVER MYSELF. I NOTICED ONLY OTHER ACFT IN PATTERN GOING AROUND WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET LNDG CLRNC WHICH TOOK ABOUT 5 MINS AS TWR COULD NOT SEE ME TO GIVE ME LIGHT GO AROUND SIGNALS AND I COULD ONLY XMIT OR RECEIVE FOR 3 SECS AT A TIME.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.