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19940111024519I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Cvac 440 · Detroit, MI · January 11, 1994

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 11, 1994 · 08:05 local
Place
Detroit, MI
Airport
Detroit Metro Wayne County
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N5123
Reported as
Cvac 440
Reported engine
Allison 501D13
People aboard
24
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
11,115 total1,736 in this make and model106 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on January 1, 1994, convair 440/580, N5123, operated by general motors air transportation, piloted by captain richard druschel and first officer linda yanca, departed dtw runway 21C. The crew stated that on rotation or shortly thereafter they noticed both d c generator warning lights illuminated. The crew tried to reset the generators without success. The crew continued on around the traffic pattern with only the aircraft battery for d c electrical power. The transformer rectifier unit switch was not turned on. The crew stated they notified dtw tower of the situation and landed on runway 21C without incident. The initial report from dtw tower to the Detroit FSDO stated the tower gave a light gun signal clearing the aircraft for landing. The crew did not remember or notice the light gun signal from the tower. After landing the crew stated that the left generator reset on the first attempt but the right generator required three or four attempts before it was on the line. The aircraft was returned to the general motors air transportation hangar where maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft and accomplished operational checks of both generator systems. There were no failures or malfunction. Detected and operation of both generator systems were normal. The aircraft was returned to service and has been in operation for over two weeks without any electrical malfunctions. Flight crew competency is questioned as a result of the investigation into this incident. The crew stated that when they noticed both d c generator warning lights illuminate at or just after rotation of the aircraft, they tried to reset the generators without success but did not turn the transformer rectifier unit switch to the on position. That action would have restored d c electrical power to the aircraft since the power source to the transformer rectifier unit is the a c generators, which were both functioning normally. If this action had been taken by the flight crew, the chances of the aircraft battery power becoming depleted, endangering radio communications with the dtw tower, would have been eliminated. General motors air transportation maintenance personnel have inspected both d c generator systems and conducted extensive operational checks of all electrical systems on the aircraft without detecting any failure or malfunction. The aircraft has been operated for more than two weeks in daily operation without any electrical malfunctions. privacy data omitted No further actions will be initiated.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JANUARY 1, 1994, CONVAIR 440/580, N5123, OPERATED BY GENERAL MOTORS AIR TRANSPORTATION, PILOTED BY CAPTAIN RICHARD DRUSCHEL AND FIRST OFFICER LINDA YANCA, DEPARTED DTW RUNWAY 21C. THE CREW STATED THAT ON ROTATION OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER THEY NOTICED BOTH D C GENERATOR WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CREW TRIED TO RESET THE GENERATORS WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE CREW CONTINUED ON AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH ONLY THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY FOR D C ELECTRICAL POWER. THE TRANSFORMER RECTIFIER UNIT SWITCH WAS NOT TURNED ON. THE CREW STATED THEY NOTIFIED DTW TOWER OF THE SITUATION AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 21C WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE INITIAL REPORT FROM DTW TOWER TO THE DETROIT FSDO STATED THE TOWER GAVE A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL CLEARING THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING. THE CREW DID NOT REMEMBER OR NOTICE THE LIGHT GUN SIGNAL FROM THE TOWER. AFTER LANDING THE CREW STATED THAT THE LEFT GENERATOR RESET ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT BUT THE RIGHT GENERATOR REQUIRED THREE OR FOUR ATTEMPTS BEFORE IT WAS ON THE LINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO THE GENERAL MOTORS AIR TRANSPORTATION HANGAR WHERE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND ACCOMPLISHED OPERATIONAL CHECKS OF BOTH GENERATOR SYSTEMS. THERE WERE NO FAILURES OR MALFUNCTION.DETECTED AND OPERATION OF BOTH GENERATOR SYSTEMS WERE NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AND HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR OVER TWO WEEKS WITHOUT ANY ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS. FLIGHT CREW COMPETENCY IS QUESTIONED AS A RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS INCIDENT. THE CREW STATED THAT WHEN THEY NOTICED BOTH D C GENERATOR WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AT OR JUST AFTER ROTATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, THEY TRIED TO RESET THE GENERATORS WITHOUT SUCCESS BUT DID NOT TURN THE TRANSFORMER RECTIFIER UNIT SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION. THAT ACTION WOULD HAVE RESTORED D C ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT SINCE THE POWER SOURCE TO THE TRANSFORMER RECTIFIER UNIT IS THE A C GENERATORS, WHICH WERE BOTH FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. IF THIS ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN BY THE FLIGHT CREW, THE CHANCES OF THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY POWER BECOMING DEPLETED, ENDANGERING RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE DTW TOWER, WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. GENERAL MOTORS AIR TRANSPORTATION MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL HAVE INSPECTED BOTH D C GENERATOR SYSTEMS AND CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE OPERATIONAL CHECKS OF ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ON THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT DETECTING ANY FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN OPERATED FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS IN DAILY OPERATION WITHOUT ANY ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NO FURTHER ACTIONS WILL BE INITIATED.