SMA PLT DOING REQUIRED NIGHT TKOF AND LNDGS HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. HITS TAXI LIGHT LEAVING RWY.

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

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA PLT DOING REQUIRED NIGHT TKOF AND LNDGS HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. HITS TAXI LIGHT LEAVING RWY.

Narrative

JULY/92 MEM TWR CALLED AT XA30 LCL AND ADVISED THAT ACFT HAD ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON THE MEM APCH. IT LANDED SAFELY AND TAXIED TO THE FBO HANGAR. FAA INSPECTOR CONTACTED THE PLT AT OFFICE/HOME. HE ADVISED THAT; AFTER 2 NIGHT LNDGS AT LHC; HE WAS RETURNING TO MEM WHEN HE LOST ELECTRICAL PWR. HE FOUND THE ALTERNATOR 5 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER OPEN AND RESET IT ON LNDG. THE MECH CHKED THE ACFT AND RECHARGED THE BATTERY. HE FOUND THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR OUTPUT TO BE HIGH AND REPLACED IT. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON 27; AS THE LTT WAS ALREADY ON THE GND. I ACKNOWLEDGED; BUT FELT I WAS NOT XMITTING; AND MY INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE JUST ABOUT ALL GONE OUT; BUT I KNEW MY WHEELS WERE DOWN; AS I HAD PUT THEM DOWN EARLIER AND SEEN THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS. I HEARD THE TWR CALLING ME; AND I TRIED TO ANSWER; BUT I KNEW I WAS NOT XMITTING AND FINALLY COULD NOT HEAR ANYTHING. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TURNED SLOWLY ONTO CHARLIE; SKIRTING AN AMBER LIGHT SUNK IN THE MIDDLE; AS IT WAS VERY DARK (NO MOON SEEN); AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE LIGHT WAS FOR. I HEADED N IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TAXIWAY UNTIL I CAME TO WHAT I TOOK TO BE A WIDE SPACE BTWN 2 BLUE TAXIWAY LIGHTS; SO I TURNED OFF TO GO TO FBO AND REALIZED I WAS IN THE GRASS; SO I GOT BACK ON CHARLIE AND CONTINUED UNTIL I CAME TO THE TRUE RIGHT TURN-OFF TO FBO. PARKED; SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AND WITH MY LANTERN NOW COULD LOOK AROUND FOR THE TROUBLE. THE 5 AMP BREAKER FOR THE ALTERNATOR FIELD WAS POPPED OUT. I PUSHED IT BACK IN; CLOSED UP THE PLANE AND HEADED FOR THE COUNTER TO GIVE THEM A SET OF KEYS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO FIND WHAT WAS WRONG AND CALL ME. BEFORE I WENT IN; I SAW 2 ARPT POLICE DRIVING AROUND AND ENDING UP AT MY PLANE. I WENT OVER AND FOUND THAT I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR AND WAS TOLD I HAD RUN OVER A TAXIWAY LIGHT.

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