What happened
The flight was approaching its destination under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) when the pilot noticed the alternator beginning to malfunction. Despite this warning, the pilot continued toward the airport and initiated a landing approach. During the sequence of lowering the landing gear, the nose gear indicator displayed an unsafe status.
Recognizing the issue, the pilot discontinued the approach and climbed back into visual meteorological conditions (VMC) on top. While attempting to obtain a reliable indication regarding the status of the nose gear, the aircraft suffered a complete electrical failure. With no remaining communication or navigational capabilities, the pilot retraced the flight path to locate known VMC approximately 60 miles southwest of Omaha.
Due to low fuel reserves and the inability to return to the original airport, an off-airport precautionary landing was executed. The force of the landing caused the nose gear to collapse.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft's electrical system revealed that the alternator had failed due to a short circuit between the field and ground connections. Further inspection showed significant wear on the brushes and the pulley end bearing. Additionally, the alternator was found to be soaked in oil, which likely contributed to the electrical failure.
Findings
The primary contributing factor to this accident was the malfunction of the aircraft's alternator, which led to a total loss of electrical power. This failure prevented the pilot from communicating with air traffic control or navigating effectively after the initial gear indication anomaly. The subsequent decision to land off-airport due to low fuel resulted in structural damage to the landing gear.