LOSS OF PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY IN ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM MALFUNCTION. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT EXECUTED.

Date: 1992-03 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown

Synopsis

LOSS OF PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY IN ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM MALFUNCTION. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT EXECUTED.

Narrative

I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PHOENIX DEER VALLEY ARPT TO PALM SPRINGS REGIONAL. I WAS FLYING ABOVE THE CLOUDS AT 10000 MSL UNTIL ABOUT 20 MI E OF THE COLORADO RIVER AT WHICH TIME THE CLOUDS WERE ONLY SCATTERED. I PASSED OVER THE BLYTHE VOR AND MADE MY TURN TOWARD THERMAL VOR. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER; I NOTICED THAT MY DME WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. I HAD ALSO LOST 2-WAY RADIO COM. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THAT NONE OF MY ELECTRICAL EQUIP INCLUDING VORS AND TRANSPONDER WERE WORKING. I SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND THEN 7600 IN THE EVENT THE TRANSPONDER BECAME FUNCTIONAL. I REALIZED THAT WITHOUT NAV EQUIP IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PROCEED TO PALM SPRINGS AS FILED IN MY FLT PLAN. I KNEW THAT PALM SPRINGS IS A BUSY ARPT AND THAT TRYING TO FLY THERE WITHOUT 2-WAY COM WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. I THEREFORE DID A 180 DEG TURN AND LANDED AT A LESS BUSY ARPT IN BLYTHE. AFTER LNDG; I IMMEDIATELY CALLED RIVERSIDE FSS AND INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. A MECH IN BLYTHE CHKED THE PLANE AND FELT THE PROBLEM MAY BE A FAULTY VOLTAGE REGULATOR. HE WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT DID CHARGE THE BATTERY FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. THE AMMETER SHOWED A GOOD CHARGE ON THE BATTERY SO I CONTINUED THE FLT VFR INTO PALM SPRINGS WITHOUT INCIDENT. A MECH IN PALM SPRINGS CHKED THE PLANE AND FOUND THE BATTERY TO BE COMPLETELY DISCHARGED. HE CHARGED THE BATTERY AND THEN CHKED THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND FOUND THAT A WIRE WAS NOT ADEQUATELY CONNECTED AND HAD TO BE RESODDERED. THE MECH FELT THAT THIS WAS UNUSUAL AND COULD NOT BE DETECTED IN PREFLT INSPECTION. IT TOOK HIM 3 HRS TO FIND AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ALSO; THE PLANE HAD JUST COMPLETED ITS ANNUAL ON THE MORNING OF THIS FLT. I AM UNSURE IF I COULD PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING AGAIN BUT I WILL PAY CLOSER ATTN TO THE AMMETER TO BE SURE THE BATTERY IS CHARGING PROPERLY. ALSO; I PLAN TO BUY A HAND HELD NAV COM UNIT IN THE EVENT THIS OCCURS AGAIN.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.