DISTRACTED BY AN ELECTRICAL PROB; MOONEY M20K PLT HAS A TRACK HDG DEV WHILE DEPARTING MCI.

Date: 2006-11 · Aircraft: M-20 K (231) / Encore

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance

Synopsis

DISTRACTED BY AN ELECTRICAL PROB; MOONEY M20K PLT HAS A TRACK HDG DEV WHILE DEPARTING MCI.

Narrative

AFTER DEPARTING THE ARPT; I NOTICED AN INTERMITTENT LOW VOLTAGE WARNING FROM THE ANNUNCIATOR; SOMETHING I HAD SEEN IN CLBOUT 2 DAYS EARLIER. IN THIS CASE; I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE AMMETER CONFIRM A DISCHARGE. MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT THE ALTERNATOR COUPLER DRIVE WAS BEGINNING TO SLIP. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST AND INDICATIONS WERE SIMILAR. THIS DISTR MY ATTN AND I TURNED TO THE FIRST FIX IN MY IFR CLRNC ALTHOUGH I HAD BEEN GIVEN A HDG TO FOLLOW. THE CTLR CORRECTED ME. AFTER LNDG AT MY FUEL STOP; I WAS ABLE TO EASILY START THE ENG; WHICH MADE ME BELIEVE THAT I HAD ONLY SLIGHTLY DISCHARGED THE BATTERY. BECAUSE IT WAS TYPICAL FOR THE LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT TO FLASH AT LOW RPM'S AND THE FLASHING WAS INTERMITTENT AT RUN-UP; I DEPARTED THE ARPT. SHORTLY; AFTER RAISING THE GEAR AND FLAPS; MY RADIOS AND XPONDER FAILED. USING A BACKUP HANDHELD RADIO; I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ATC AND ADVISE OF MY SITUATION; ALTHOUGH COM WAS INTERMITTENT AND I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH DETERMINING THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. I ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO CONTINUE VFR TO MY HOME BASE. ENRTE; I DECIDED TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR FEARING THAT I MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH BATTERY PWR LEFT WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DEST 2 HRS AWAY. WHAT I HAD NOT FACTORED IN WAS THE REDUCED AIRSPD BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE GEAR BEING DOWN. THIS INCREASED MY ENRTE TIME TO 2 HRS 30 MINS AND CAUSED ME TO ARRIVE AT MY DEST AT DUSK. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO ACTIVATE RWY LIGHTS; ANNOUNCE MY INTENTIONS AND LAND SAFETY; I DID SO WITHOUT ANY EXTERIOR LIGHTING. REFLECTING ON THIS; I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE INTERMITTENT ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT MORE SERIOUSLY. I SHOULD HAVE REFUELED AT THE INTERMEDIATE ARPT AND DEPARTED IMMEDIATELY OR SOUGHT MAINT AT THAT FIELD.

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