What happened
On September 8, 2020, at approximately 12:30 PM, a Cessna T207A, registered as N6449H, departed from North Eleuthera International Airport (MYEH) in the Bahamas. The aircraft was operating a private flight destined for Miami Opa-Locka Executive Airport in Florida.
Within ten minutes of takeoff, the pilot identified a loss of electrical power. Upon realizing the failure, the pilot elected to abort the flight and return to the departure airfield. Because the aircraft's primary electrical systems were compromised, the pilot utilized a portable handheld radio to communicate the emergency and declare the intention to land at MYEH to air traffic control.
The aircraft arrived back at North Eleuthera International Airport at 12:45 PM. Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) personnel were positioned on standby during the approach. The landing was completed safely, resulting in zero injuries and no damage to the airframe.
The investigation
The investigation into this incident was limited in scope, as the event was categorized as a systems component malfunction. Investigators confirmed that the weather conditions at the time of the occurrence were within visual meteorological conditions and did not contribute to the event. The inquiry focused on the mechanical failure of the aircraft's electrical generation system.
Findings
- The primary cause of the electrical power loss was an alternator failure.
- The pilot successfully managed the emergency by using secondary communication equipment (a handheld radio) to coordinate the return to the airport.