PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL LOST ELECTRICAL GENERATING SOURCE DURING AN IFR FLT AND DECLARED AN EMER TO LAND ASAP.
Synopsis
PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL LOST ELECTRICAL GENERATING SOURCE DURING AN IFR FLT AND DECLARED AN EMER TO LAND ASAP.
Narrative
ALTERNATOR WARNING LIGHT (1979 CESSNA 182 Q) ON; AMMETER SHOWED DISCHARGE. ADVISED ATC I WAS GOING TO BQK WITH IMMINENT ELECTRICAL FAILURE. CLRED TO 1850 FT TO EXPECT VISUAL APCH. CEILING 1500 FT. ADVISED ATC UPON ARR AT 2000 FT NAVIGATING TO LOM THAT I WAS DECLARING AN EMER AND GOING TO GO GPS DIRECT TO THE FINAL RWY 7 AT BQK (THIS GIVEN 1500 FT CEILING; NO NEARBY OBSTRUCTIONS; AND UNKNOWN BATTERY LIFE REMAINING). ARPT IN SIGHT AT 1300 FT MSL 5 MI FINAL AND COMPLETED LNDG WITHOUT ACFT LIGHTS BUT ATC HAD ARPT TURN LIGHTS UP. MECH FOUND ALTERNATOR BELT LOOSE -- POSSIBLY AGGRAVATED BY CLOUD MOISTURE. THIS BELT WAS REPLACED 20 HRS AGO. ALTERNATIVE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ASR APCH AT JAX (CEILING 900 FT) BUT BATTERY LIFE UNKNOWN AND IT WAS MINS FROM TOTAL DARKNESS. OTHER INFO: WE HAD HAND HELD -- DIDN'T HAVE TO USE; ALSO HAD TB VACUUM (N/A); HAD PLENTY OF FLASH LIGHTS AND PPSEL WIFE AVAILABLE AS COPLT TO HELP WITH APCH PLATES AND TUNING COM AND ILS ETC. CLOUD LAYER WAS FROM 1300 FT TO ABOUT 5500 FT. NOTE THAT JAX CTR HAS NO RADAR COVERAGE BELOW ABOUT 3500 FT IN VICINITY OF BQK SO VECTORS TO FINAL NOT AVAILABLE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.