PLT OF A MOONEY M20 BECAME DISORIENTED AT NIGHT WHEN BLINDED BY A HELI'S FLOOD LIGHT WHEN INADVERTENTLY WANDERED INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE AFTER FAILURE OF HIS ELECTRICAL SYS.

Date: 2000-03 · Aircraft: M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: descent

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|other-temporary-blindness

Synopsis

PLT OF A MOONEY M20 BECAME DISORIENTED AT NIGHT WHEN BLINDED BY A HELI'S FLOOD LIGHT WHEN INADVERTENTLY WANDERED INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE AFTER FAILURE OF HIS ELECTRICAL SYS.

Narrative

I WAS RETURNING TO FCH ARPT FROM THE NW AND I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROB; WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE RADIO AND ELECTRICAL NAV FAILURE (BOTH MY NAVS; COMS; AND HSI WERE NON OPERATIONAL). I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DIRECT RECONNAISSANCE NAV TO FCH ARPT AND IT WENT FROM DUSK TO DARK AND I ESTIMATE THE VISIBILITY TO BE 3-4 MI IN HAZE. I SAW AN ARPT BEACON; WHICH I THOUGHT WAS FCH BEACON. AS I APCHED THE ARPT; I REALIZED IT WAS NOT FCH ARPT BUT FRESNO'S YOSEMITE ARPT AND THEREFORE I HAD ENTERED THEIR CTL SPACE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THE R TO VACATE THE AIRSPACE AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. I WAS AT APPROX 1200 FT AT THIS TIME. AS I TURNED TO THE W; AWAY FROM THE YOSEMITE ARPT; AN EXTREME BRIGHT LIGHT APPEARED AT MY L FRONT. THIS LIGHT WAS AT MY ALT AND WAS RIGHT IN MY EYES WHICH CAUSED A TEMPORARY BLINDNESS. WITH MY VISION IMPAIRED; I BECAME DISORIENTED AND I COULD TELL I ENTERED A CLB. I EASED FORWARD THE YOKE AND KEPT TURNING TO THE R. THE BRIGHT LIGHT DISAPPEARED AS IF IT WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN IT RETURNED. THIS TIME IT WAS MORE TO MY L THAN TO THE FRONT OF ME. AGAIN; I WAS FORCED TO TURN MY HEAD TO PREVENT FURTHER LOSS OF VISION. AFTER I REGAINED MY ORIENTATION AND EVENTUALLY MY VISION; I FOUND FCH ARPT AND LANDED. BY THIS TIME I HAD LOST ALL MY ELECTRICAL PWR. THINKING THROUGH THE INCIDENT; I REALIZED THAT I WAS TRYING TOO HARD AND CONCENTRATING TOO MUCH ON MY RADIO; ELECTRICAL PROBS AND NOT ENOUGH ON MY DIRECT RECONNAISSANCE NAV AND TOO ANXIOUS TO FIND AN ARPT; SO I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE BEACON TO BE FCH ARPT. ALSO; THE ACFT WITH THE BRIGHT LIGHT WAS MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN A HELI AND BECAUSE OF ITS ACTIONS OF APPARENTLY TRYING TO INTERCEPT MY PATH. IT WAS POSSIBLY A POLICE HELI OR A NON THINKING PLT WHO CAUSED ME TO LOSE MY VISION AND NEARLY THE CTL OF MY ACFT DUE TO LOSS OF VISION AND DISORIENTATION. PLTS SHOULD TRY TO AVOID AND NOT IMPEDE THE FLT OF ANOTHER ACFT NO MATTER WHO HAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OR CLRNC.

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