SMA LOSES CONTACT WITH ARTCC AND CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Date: 1993-10 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear · Phase: climb

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

Synopsis

SMA LOSES CONTACT WITH ARTCC AND CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative

RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC ON GND AT 8W5 VIA REMOTE FSS FREQ. CLRNC STATED 4000 FT CRUISE ALT WITH NO FURTHER EXPECTED CRUISE ALT CLRNC. HAD FILED FOR 6000 FT AS I EXPECTED THIS WOULD PUT ME ABOVE CLOUDS ON DEP AND ENRTE. TKOF AND CLB WERE IN VMC. DURING CLB TO 4000 FT I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZDC ON ASSIGNED FREQ BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. UPON APCHING 4000 FT; VMC; I FURTHER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZDC. I COULD HEAR CONVERSATION ON FREQ BUT STILL DID NOT RECEIVE A REPLY. I KNEW FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA CTR HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT BELOW 5000 FT. IF I CONTINUED FLT AT ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT I WOULD HAVE GONE IMC WITHIN 3-5 MI. ABOUT THIS TIME I GOT AN INDICATION THAT BOTH ALTERNATORS HAD FAILED AND ALSO LOST MY ADF INDICATOR. AT THIS POINT CONSIDERING MY CIRCUMSTANCES; I CHOSE TO CONTINUE MY CLB; VFR; TO 6500 FT BE CLR OF CLOUDS (ON TOP WITH 20 PLUS MI VISIBILITY) AND ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WHILE RESETTING BREAKERS AND SHUTTING DOWN SOME EQUIP TO CONSERVE BATTERY RESERVE. UPON REACHING APPROX 6200 FT RADIO CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH CTR AND I BRIEFLY EXPLAINED TO CTLR WHAT I HAD DONE. I WAS ADVISED I HAD VIOLATED MY CLRNC; ASKED AND CONFIRMED I WAS VFR. I WAS TOLD TO REMAIN VFR; MY CLRNC WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE I HAD VIOLATED MY CLRNC; BUT I WAS NOT TOLD TO CHANGE MY ASSIGNED IFR SQUAWK. I WAS ABLE TO RESET AND STABILIZE MY ALTERNATORS. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER; THE CTLR ISSUED A NEW CLRNC AT 6000 FT FOR THE REST OF RTE WITH ORIGINAL SQUAWK. FLT PROCEEDED AND TERMINATED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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