A LEARJET 35 IN DSCNT FROM 12000 FT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR FOR 4-5 SECONDS THEN PWR WAS RESTORED.
Synopsis
A LEARJET 35 IN DSCNT FROM 12000 FT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR FOR 4-5 SECONDS THEN PWR WAS RESTORED.
Narrative
DURING AN AUTOPLT DSCNT THROUGH 12500 FT (OR SO; APPROX) FOR 11000 FT (PRESELECT) AT ABOUT 2500 FPM IN GLARING SUNLIGHT WITH THE PANEL LIGHTS ON HIGH; THE PANEL WENT DEAD. ALL THE GAUGES AND LIGHTS WENT DOWN INCLUDING THE ELECTRIC ENCODING ALTIMETER. MY FO ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED; AND I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW. CTR THEN CRACKLED ON AND SAID ACR X SAY ALT TO WHICH I LOOKED DOWN AND REPLIED 10000 FT; WHICH IS WHAT I THOUGHT I SAW IN THE SUNLIGHT. CTR THEN SAID CLB TO 11000 FT; TO WHICH I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW US SMOOTHLY DSNDING THROUGH 11500 FT. I LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT AND CONTINUED THE FLT. THE ACFT DID NOT LURCH DOWN LIKE IN A TSTM; NOR DID IT SUDDENLY CLB. MY THOUGHTS ARE THE SPIKE IN VOLTAGE BRIEF AS IT WAS (4 OR 5 SECONDS) AFFECTED THE ELECTRIC ALTIMETER IN WAYS I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH; NOT BEING A MECH. I BELIEVE WHAT I SAID MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG BECAUSE THE LACK OF ACFT MOTION; INDICATING 12500 FT ONE SECOND; 10000 FT THE NEXT; THEN FINALLY 11500 FT DSNDING NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PWR LOSS WAS NOT CAUSED BY A STATIC DISCHARGE OR LIGHTNING STRIKE AND ONLY APPEARED FROM 4-5 SECONDS. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS MAINT FERRIED TO THE OVERHAUL BASE IN ZZZ AND THE ELECTRICAL SYS WAS THOROUGHLY CHKED BUT THE RPT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC WITH NO SUBSEQUENT RPTS OF PWR PROBS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.