PLT OF SMA ACFT LOST ALL NAV AND RADIO COM. DURING INST FLT RESULTING EMER DSCNT AND LNDG.

Date: 1992-07 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

PLT OF SMA ACFT LOST ALL NAV AND RADIO COM. DURING INST FLT RESULTING EMER DSCNT AND LNDG.

Narrative

I DEPARTED LOST NATION ARPT; WITH A CLRNC 200 DEG RADIAL DRYER VOR DIRECT APPLETON VOR DIRECT CHARLESTON THEN AS FILED (TO VALDOSTA; GA). AFTER TKOF I GOT RADAR VECTORS FOR DIRECT CHARLESTON VOR. AFTER I ADVISED ATC ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE THAT I WAS DIRECT CHARLESTON VOR RADIO 2 AND NAV 2 WENT DEAD ON ME. AFTER CHKING EVERYTHING WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING; NO APPARENT DISCHARGE; RADIO 1 AND NAV 1 INCLUDING DME WERE DEAD ALSO. NOW I DID THE SQUAWKING PROCS 7700 1 MIN; 7500 15 MIN. I STILL HAD LORAN SO I TUNED IN THE CHARLESTON VOR; BUT WHILE I WAS DOING THAT ALSO THE LORAN WENT DEAD. I SQUAWKED 7700 AGAIN FOR EMER. NOW I DID THE TOTAL COCKPIT CHK AGAIN; NOW I FOUND A DISCHARGE; THE NEEDLE LITTLE L OF CTR; AS A REFLEX I CHKED THE ALTERNATORS WHICH THAT WAS ON. THEN I TURNED OFF ALL THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP. THE EVENT OF THE FAILURE OF RADIO 2 AND NAV 2 TO TURNING OFF THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP TOOK ABOUT 3 MINS. THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF NOW WAS TO GO FOR AN AREA THAT ALLOWED ME A VFR DSCNT ABOUT 170 (WX BRIEFING) I CLBED TO 9500 FT (VFR CRUISING ALT) AFTER ABOUT 3 MINS I CHKED IF I COULD USE RADIO 1 AGAIN. WITH THE SQUEALS ON I COULD HEAR A BROKEN VOICE (NO DIGITAL DISPLAY) SO I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT AN EXTRA 3 MIN I CHKED AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH CTR AGAIN. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THEY TOLD ME TO GO A HDG OF 170 AND TO CHANGE FREQ. THIS I DID NOT WANT TO DO BECAUSE OF THE DISAPPEARED DIGITAL DISPLAY. I ADVISED THEM AND TOLD THEM I WOULD BE BACK ON THE FREQ AFTER 1 MIN. AFTER CONTACTING THEM AGAIN THEY TOLD ME TO DSCNT TO 2800 FT AND THAT PARKERSBURG WAS ABOUT 14 NM 12 O'CLOCK. I STARTED THE DSCNT AND LOST CTR TOTALLY. I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF TO SAVE ENERGY FOR THE FLAPS; TURNED OUT THE GEAR MANUALLY; AND STARTED LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. WHEN I SAW THE ARPT I CIRCLED FOR WIND AND LIGHT SIGNALS COMPLIED WITH THE LIGHTS AND LANDED. MAINT THERE FOUND A BROKEN WIRE OFF THE ALTERNATOR.

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