# Incident 19940317008769I: Piper PA32R301, Richmond, VA, March 17, 1994

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 17, 1994, 16:31 local time
- Place: Richmond, VA
- Airport: Richmond International - Byrd Field
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.5538° N, 77.4603° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Richmond, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5538&lon=-77.4603&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8429X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8429X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-301 (registry code 7103218, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R301
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,700 total, 2,300 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940317008769I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 17, 1994, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GAI ENROUTE TO MRH. A HIGH CHARGE RATE WAS NOTED ON THE AMP METER BUT DISMISSED AS NORMAL DUE TO A WEAK BATTERY DURING START. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AMPMETER WENT TO 0 CHARGE RATE, AND THE AIRCRAFT DIVERTED FROM ITS INTENDED DESTINATION. COMMUNICATION WAS LOST, AND A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE RESULTED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR, USING THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ALTERNATOR BELT IDLER PULLEY FAILED IN THE BEARING AREA, WITH SUBSEQUENT BELT LOSS. THE LANDING GEAR WAS CYCLED BY THE NORMAL AND EMERGENCY SYSTEMS WITHOUT MALFUNCTION. THE AUTO EXTENSION SYSTEM ALSO SHOWED NO MALFUNCTIONS WITH SUFFICIENT REDUCTIONS OF AIRSPEED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INCIDENT CLOSED.

## Other reports on N8429X (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20220604009529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220604009529A), Jun 4, 2022: Piper PA-32R-301 (N8429X), Martinsville, VA, Substantial damage. Pilot go distracted by other airplane giving position reports that were not correct and his attention was on where that airplane was when he rolled onto final…
- [Incident 19960616024329I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960616024329I), Jun 16, 1996: Piper PA32R301 (N8429X), Beaufort, NC, Minor damage. Narrative: on June 16, 1996, at approximately 1300 EST, a Piper PA32R-301, N8429X, registered to b.g.p., inc., 11 medical park, Morehead city, NC 28557, landed…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.