AN MO2J PLT EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE 10 MINS AFTER DEP. AFTER TURNING ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP OFF; HE WAS ABLE TO USE 1 RADIO TO REESTABLISH COM WITH DEP CTL. THE CTLR VECTORED HIM FOR A RETURN LAND AND THE TWR NOTIFIED CFR. RETURN LAND.

Date: 1996-02 · Aircraft: M-20 J (201) / Allegro

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe

Synopsis

AN MO2J PLT EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE 10 MINS AFTER DEP. AFTER TURNING ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP OFF; HE WAS ABLE TO USE 1 RADIO TO REESTABLISH COM WITH DEP CTL. THE CTLR VECTORED HIM FOR A RETURN LAND AND THE TWR NOTIFIED CFR. RETURN LAND.

Narrative

HAD JUST REACHED CRUISE ALT OF 7500 FT (10 MINS). SUDDENLY LOST RADIO STACK; XPONDER AND HSI. TURNED RADIO MASTER OFF/ON -- NO HELP. THEN TURNED EVERYTHING OFF; TURNED 1 RADIO ON AND IT WORKED. TURNED 180 DEGS TO RETURN TO SAT. CONTACTED ATC; BUT THEY COULD NOT HEAR ME WELL UNTIL I RETURNED TO ABOUT 30 NM OUT. I REQUESTED LNDG AT SAT. I WAS PUT IN A HOLDING PATTERN OUTSIDE THE CLASS C AIRSPACE FOR A FEW MINS. THEN THE CTLR TALKED ME IN TO THE ARPT. NO PWR SO I HAD TO HAND PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. NO FLAPS (THEY ARE ELECTRIC). SWITCHED TO THE TWR. TWR CALLED OUT THE CRASH VEHICLES. GAUGES IN THE PLANE SHOWED THE GEAR DOWN. LNDG WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. TAXIED TO THE MAINT HANGAR AND THE MECH ON DUTY BEGAN AN INSPECTION TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PWR FAILURE. THE ALTERNATOR SEEMED TO BE THE PRIME SUSPECT. I DID NOT TRY TO RESET THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT AS OUTLINED IN THE EMER PROCS. EVEN IF IT HAD WORKED; I WOULD STILL HAVE RETURNED TO SAT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT; INITIALLY; APCH CTL WAS NOT GOING TO LET THE RPTR RETURN LAND AT SAT. HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE THEM LANDMARKS TO DEFINE HIS POS; THOUGH; WHICH AIDED THEIR ABILITY TO HELP HIM. RPTR STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS RESET BY MAINT AND HE HAS NOT SINCE EXPERIENCED ANY PROBS.

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