SMA HAS SEVERE ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE PROB. LOSS OF LORAN AND STORM SCOPE UNUSUAL ACTIVITY.
Synopsis
SMA HAS SEVERE ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE PROB. LOSS OF LORAN AND STORM SCOPE UNUSUAL ACTIVITY.
Narrative
I WAS TRAVELING SW ON V433 AT 10500 FT VFR IN MY SMA. SMOOTH AIR; CLR OF CLOUDS; ALMOST NO TFC RPTED BY CTR. UPON XING CHESAPEAKE BAY; I NOTICED MY STORM SCOPE DISPLAYING HVY ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY; NOT CONSISTENT WITH AIRBORNE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES (TSTMS); BUT IDENTICAL TO THE DISPLAY SEEN UPON TAXIING OVER BURIED PWR LINES. THE DISPLAY WAS UNAFFECTED BY RANGE CHANGE. AS I PASSED OVER THE BAY; THE DISPLAY MOVED FROM MY 12 O'CLOCK POS; GRADUALLY TO THE 3 O'CLOCK AND THEN THE 6 O'CLOCK POS. AT ABOUT XY10 LCL; THE DISPLAY CLRED. MORE IMPORTANTLY; MY LORAN LOST ALL STATIONS. NOT JUST THE SIGNAL DEGRADED; BUT COMPLETE STATION LOSS. ATTEMPTING TO DISPLAY STATIONS YIELDED 0-0. IT WAS BLOWN OFF THE AIR! THE LORAN DID NOT BEGIN ACQUISITION OF SIGNAL UNTIL THE BAY WAS CROSSED AND THE STORM SCOPE CEASED TO DISPLAY. AS AN ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION; UNITED STATES NAVY WARSHIPS WERE IN THE BAY. IF; AS WAS SUGGESTED; WAR GAMES WERE USING PASSING CIVILIAN CRAFT; THE ACTION IS A HAZARD TO NAV AND SAFETY! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR WAS QUESTIONED REF HIS STATEMENT OF NAVY 'USING CIVILIAN ACFT.' HE FEELS THERE WAS A LOT OF 'JUICE' COMING AT HIM AND POSSIBLY A HIGH PWR RADAR BEAM. THE STORM SCOPE ONLY RESPONDS TO ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY AND THERE WAS ONLY CLR SKY; SO HE FEELS NAVY ACTIVITY WAS THE MAJOR PROB. THE POS OF THE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY MOVED FROM 12 O'CLOCK TO 3 O'CLOCK THEN TO 6 O'CLOCK AS HE CROSSED THE BAY SO IT WAS FROM A FIXED POS. HE KNOWS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR NAV PROBS WHEN NAVY IS ACTIVE. THE WORST PART FOR HIM WAS TOTAL OF THE LORAN. HIS IS HIGH PRICED; WELL MADE EQUIP THAT GIVES HIM NO PROBS. AS SOON AS HE WAS OVER LAND; THE EQUIP BEGAN TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.