C441 PLT HAD BOTH ACFT GENERATORS FAIL AND OPERATED ON EMER BATTERY PWR UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.
Synopsis
C441 PLT HAD BOTH ACFT GENERATORS FAIL AND OPERATED ON EMER BATTERY PWR UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.
Narrative
UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT OF FL280; ACFT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ALL GENERATORS. CTR WAS NOTIFIED. I ELECTED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE FIELD. I REMAINED VFR AT ALL TIMES; SQUAWKED 7600 ON THE XPONDER WHEN COMS BECAME INTERMITTENT AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THE GENERATORS FAILED ONE AT A TIME. AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE HE CHKED THE REMAINING GENERATOR LOAD TO CONFIRM IT WAS OPERATING WITHIN ITS LOAD LIMITS. THE SINGLE GENERATOR WAS OPERATING AT ABOUT 50% CAPACITY; WHILE CARRYING THE ENTIRE ACFT LOAD. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THE SECOND GENERATOR FAILED. AFTER LNDG MAINT FOUND 2 BLOWN FUSES IN THE NOSE COMPARTMENT. EACH GENERATOR HAD ONE. AFTER THE FUSES WERE REPLACED THE GENERATORS OPERATED NORMALLY. THE ACFT HAS SINCE OPERATED OVER 100 HRS WITHOUT PROB. THE RPTR QUESTIONS THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLING FUSES IN SUCH A CRITICAL SYS; ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE INFLT. THE RPTR HAS QUESTIONED HIS MAINT FACILITY; AND THE ACFT MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE FAILURE. THEY HAVE NO EXPLANATION. THE PLT ADVISED HE HAS LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE ACFT; ESPECIALLY SINCE HE FLIES IN CLASS A AIRSPACE AND IN IMC CONDITIONS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.