Incident Overview
An aircraft crashed into a crawfish pond during a forced landing at night. The accident occurred after the aircraft experienced a power loss resulting from fuel exhaustion.
Sequence of Events
After departure, the pilot contacted Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and reported that the alternator was not functioning. With assistance from ARTCC, the alternator was restored and the pilot continued the flight. Approximately 2.3 hours later, the pilot, who had become lost, declared a mayday. The pilot stated that the alternator had failed again, fuel was low, and radios were failing. At that time, the aircraft was approximately 37 nautical miles northeast of the accident site and well north of the intended course.
Alternator Failure
The alternator failure was caused by a loose pin in the connector between the alternator and the alternator control unit. This resulted in the loss of the alternator excitation field.
Previous Occurrence
The pilot had experienced a similar alternator problem on a previous flight.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was fuel exhaustion, leading to a power loss and subsequent forced landing.