ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 144739
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 2 March 2012 |
| Time: | 14:20 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N373JT |
| MSN: | 30-850 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-320 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Northwest Regional Airport, near Roanoke, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Crystal City, TX (20R) |
| Denton, TX (DTO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot said he was on a cross-country flight and he noticed that the alternators were producing about 9 volts. He tried to troubleshoot the problem, and he switched the alternators off and on a “number” of times, but he was unable to get them to indicate more than 8 to 9 volts (the pilot used the term "alternator" and "generator" interchangeably in his statement). He said that he heard a “squeal” coming through the headset, and when the right alternator was switched off, the noise would stop. He said that he eventually lost radio communication capability while en route to his destination, and he diverted to an alternate airport. The pilot lowered the landing gear on the downwind leg, and he observed that the nose landing gear was extended by its reflection in the spinner. The landing roll was “normal” until the right main landing gear collapsed, and then the left main landing gear collapsed.
A postaccident examination of the landing gear did not disclose any evidence of a mechanical malfunction. The pilot reported that he lost all electrical power due to a loss of one or both alternators. It is likely that the right alternator failed, so when the pilot turned off the right failed alternator, the noise stopped; however, the left alternator could not put out enough voltage to power the radios and other electrical demands. By the time the gear was lowered, there was not enough power to lock the left and right main landing gears in place, so they both collapsed during the landing roll. Had the pilot realized that he had lost electrical power and followed the emergency checklist, he could have verified the locked status of the landing gear and followed the emergency landing gear procedures to extend the gear.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to follow the published emergency procedures to lower the landing gear following a loss of electrical power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=373JT
3. https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N373JT
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Mar-2012 23:44 | Geno | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 14-Apr-2017 20:45 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Apr-2017 20:46 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 27-Nov-2017 20:27 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation