Overview
An aviation accident occurred during a flight that experienced a total electrical failure approximately one hour after departure. The pilot communicated with the tower using a handheld radio and reported the situation. It was decided to continue to Albany, New York, where visual meteorological conditions (VMC) existed.
Timeline
About two hours after takeoff, while on approach into Albany, both engines lost total power for reasons that were not determined. The pilot executed an emergency landing. During the impact sequence, the main and auxiliary fuel tanks were breached, and the quantity of fuel present could not be determined. However, three-quarters of a gallon of fuel was found in each of the tip tanks.
Examination Findings
Examination of the wreckage revealed that all switches were in the off position except for the fuel pumps and magnetos switches. Further inspection of the left alternator showed that the number 2 field wire to the terminal was broken prior to impact. The right alternator was functional. The battery was found discharged. For this airplane model, one alternator provides sufficient voltage but must be selected in order to operate the electrical system.