PA32-300 ACFT PLT HAS TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND CONTINUES FLT INTO MAJOR ARPT NORDO. AFTER LNDG HE WATCHES FOR LIGHT SIGNALS; BUT RECEIVING NONE CROSSES RWYS TO PARKING.

Date: 1996-09 · Aircraft: PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga/6X

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

Synopsis

PA32-300 ACFT PLT HAS TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND CONTINUES FLT INTO MAJOR ARPT NORDO. AFTER LNDG HE WATCHES FOR LIGHT SIGNALS; BUT RECEIVING NONE CROSSES RWYS TO PARKING.

Narrative

I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM FALCON FIELD IN MESA; AZ; TO RENO-TAHOE INTL; RENO; NV. THERE WAS 1 PAX; MY BROTHER; ALSO AN IFR QUALIFIED PLT. THE AIRPLANE IS A 1974 PA32- 300. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL 3 HRS INTO THE FLT. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN LEVEL FLT AT 10500 FT ABOUT 20 MI SE OF THE COALDALE VOR ALONG V105. THE FIRST HINT OF A PROB OCCURRED WHEN WE NOTICED WE COULD NOT TALK TO EACH OTHER THROUGH THE VOICE ACTIVATED INTERCOM. SOON THEREAFTER THE LOWER RADIO PACKAGE WENT BLANK. I CHKED THE AMMETER WHICH READ ZERO. THEN THE PANEL WENT BLANK. I TURNED THE ALTERNATOR MASTER SWITCH OFF FOR ABOUT 2 MINS. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL CAME BACK ON. THE AMMETER SHOWED A STRONG CHARGE. BY THIS TIME WE WERE PAST COALDALE VOR ABOUT 100 NM SE OF RENO. I DID HAVE A BATTERY OPERATED GPS HAND-HELD WHICH PROVIDED NAV AID. MY BROTHER AND I TURNED OFF EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL TO CONSERVE WHAT WE HAD IN THE AIRPLANE BATTERY. WE FLEW FOR ABOUT 5 MINS WHEN THE AMMETER WENT TO ZERO AGAIN. WE DISCUSSED OUR OPTIONS. WE WERE JUST PAST HAWTHORNE; NV; JUST 15 MINS FROM RENO. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH RENO-TAHOE INTL ARPT HAVING BEEN THERE ON SEVERAL FLTS. BY NOW OUR FUEL INDICATORS WERE NOT WORKING. I HAD BEEN TIMING USAGE AND CHANGING TANKS EVERY 1/2 HR. I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AT RNO. I FLEW TOWARDS THE TWR AT A 45 DEG ANGLE FOR ENTRY INTO A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16L. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE PATTERN. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT WAITING ON RWY 16R AND A B737 LNDG ON RWY 16R. I LANDED WITH NO PROB ON RWY 16L; TURNED L OFF THE RWY. I CHKED FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR CONSTANTLY AND MY BROTHER ALSO WAS LOOKING FOR SOME INDICATION. HE WAS A GREAT ASSISTANT WATCHING FOR OTHER ACFT AND TO REVIEW OUR SIT. I TAXIED TO THE FBO. I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR. THE FAA OFFICIAL WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY XING OF RWY 16L&R WHILE TAXIING TO THE FBO. HE ALSO SAID I WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO LAND AT CARSON CITY OR AN OUTLYING ARPT. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FIXING THE AIRPLANE. WE LATER LEARNED THE ALTERNATOR BEARINGS FROZE UP.

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