SMA PLT HAD LOW OIL PRESSURE; AND HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT FPR CLASS D.

Date: 2003-05 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-ctlr-did-not-know-acft-was-making-an-emer-lndg-at-his-arpt

Synopsis

SMA PLT HAD LOW OIL PRESSURE; AND HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT FPR CLASS D.

Narrative

10 MI W OF FT PIERCE ARPT; I NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE WAS WAY BELOW MINIMUMS. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN BACK TOWARD FT PIERCE. I DIALED FT PIERCE TWR FREQ BACK INTO COM 1. WHEN I PUSHED DOWN THE TRANSMIT BUTTON; EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL DIED. I TURNED OFF EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL I COULD (LIGHTS; GPS; XPONDER); AND TRIED TO CALL AGAIN; BUT EVERYTHING FAILED AGAIN. I TRIED TO SQUAWK AN EMER ON THE XPONDER; BUT IT FAILED AS WELL. BY THAT TIME; I WAS NEARING THE TWR; SO I DSNDED DOWN TO 1300 FT. (TPA IS 1000 FT.) I PROCEEDED TO FLY AROUND THE TWR WHILE VIOLENTLY ROCKING MY WINGS; WATCHING FOR TFC; AND WATCHING THE TWR FOR A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL. I DID NOT SEE ONE; SO I DECIDED TO ENTER A HIGH L DOWNWIND FOR THE ACTIVE RWY 9. I CONTINUED TO ROCK MY WINGS ON THE ENTIRE L DOWNWIND; WHILE WATCHING FOR TFC. I SAW 2 ACFT ON FINAL APCH; AND TURNED MY L BASE AFTER THE SECOND ACFT PASSED MY L WING. I HAD STILL SEEN NO LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. I CONTINUED ROCKING MY WINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON MY BASE AND FINAL LEGS; AND STILL SAW NOTHING FROM THE TWR. I LANDED THE PLANE AND PULLED OFF ONTO THE FIRST TXWY; WHERE I SAT WATCHING FOR SIGNALS TO TAXI. AFTER 5 MINS; THE TXWYS WERE CLR; AND I DECIDED TO TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. I PARKED THE ACFT AND WENT INSIDE; WHERE I HAD A DEBRIEFING WITH A COUPLE OF MY FLT INSTRUCTORS.

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