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