On June 14, 2018, about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 402C airplane, N322HA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The flight originated from Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, about 0830 and was destined for Andros Town International Airport, Fresh Creek, Bahamas. According to a statement submitted by the pilot’s attorney, about 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot observed a low voltage annunciation. About 10 seconds after the annunciator light illuminated, the airplane experienced a total electrical failure. The pilot maneuvered the airplane in circles while attempting to troubleshoot the problem and run through emergency checklists. However, power was not restored, and the pilot understood that the hydraulic landing gear would not extend because it was electrically actuated. After running another checklist and attempting to extend the landing gear to no avail, the pilot made a low pass by a nearby airport tower, which confirmed the landing gear remained retracted. The pilot then attempted to use the emergency extension system for the landing gear and pulled hard on the T-handle. However, instead of actuating the gear, the T-handle broke off from its housing, separating it from the swaged cable.

The pilot performed another low pass by the tower and confirmed that the landing gear were still retracted. The pilot opted to continue to troubleshoot the electrical problem while burning off fuel. He then decided to perform a gear-up landing at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida and briefed the passengers. The airplane landed on runway 10R with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage.

A mechanic examined the airplane after the accident. He stated that a visual external examination revealed that the left starter motor had overheating damage. Disassembly of the starter motor revealed an electrical short inside the unit. He removed and examined the starter relay/solenoid; the relay stayed in the closed position and showed evidence of shorting out. He further stated that when the relay is in the closed position, the starter puts a large load on the airplane’s electrical system, and the battery is not capable of maintaining a charge with a constant load draw.