What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: pilot reported they lost all electrical power while flying from phoenix, AZ to san luis obispo, CA. Possible cause for the loss of power was alternator failure. Both of the aircraft's battery were drained of power. The pilot descended and located a dirt road near eagle mountain airport. The pilot landed with the landing gear in the up position. Note: this aircraft had dual electronic ignition. (.19) electrical failure (.4) the aircraft is equipped with dual electronic ignition instead of magnetos. After leveling off on top, the pilot noticed that his panel indicated a loss of electrical power. After the battery was depleted, the engine quit and the aircraft descended into IMC conditions. After breaking out, he initiated a forced landing. The aircraft struck a berm and slid to a stop. The pilot stated that the alternator switch was on and that the alternator out warning light had not illuminated prior to his electrical loss. After recovery, the batteries were charged and the engine was started. When the alternator switch was moved to the off position, the alternator out warning light did not illuminate. The continuity of the light bulb was confirmed. The light soc ket failed a similar continuity check. The flight instructor who checked the pilot out in the aircraft reported that he did not always use the checklist and had forgotten to turn the alternator switch on before starting on several occasions. (.4) the aircraft is equipped with dual electronic ignition instead of magnetos. After leveling off on top, the pilot noticed that his panel indicated a loss of electrical power. After the battery was depleted, the engine quit and the aircraft descended into IMC conditions. After breaking out, he initiated a forced landing. The aircraft struck a berm and slid to a stop. The pilot stated that the alternator switch was on and that the alternator out warning light had not illuminated prior to his electrical loss. After recovery, the batteries were charged and the engine was started. When the alternator switch was moved to the off position, the alternator out warning light did not illuminate. The continuity of the light bulb was confirmed. The light socket failed a similar continuity check. The flight instructor who checked the pilot out in the aircraft reported that he did not always use the checklist and had forgotten to turn the altern ator switch on before starting on several occasions.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: PILOT REPORTED THEY LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE FLYING FROM PHOENIX, AZ TO SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA. POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER WAS ALTERNATOR FAILURE. BOTH OF THE AIRCRAFT'S BATTERY WERE DRAINED OF POWER. THE PILOT DESCENDED AND LOCATED A DIRT ROAD NEAR EAGLE MOUNTAIN AIRPORT. THE PILOT LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE UP POSITION. NOTE: THIS AIRCRAFT HAD DUAL ELECTRONIC IGNITION. (.19) ELECTRICAL FAILURE (.4) THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL ELECTRONIC IGNITION INSTEAD OF MAGNETOS. AFTER LEVELING OFF ON TOP, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HIS PANEL INDICATED A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. AFTER THE BATTERY WAS DEPLETED, THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO IMC CONDITIONS. AFTER BREAKING OUT, HE INITIATED A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BERM AND SLID TO A STOP. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH WAS ON AND THAT THE ALTERNATOR OUT WARNING LIGHT HAD NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO HIS ELECTRICAL LOSS. AFTER RECOVERY, THE BATTERIES WERE CHARGED AND THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. WHEN THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH WAS MOVED TO THE OFF POSITION, THE ALTERNATOR OUT WARNING LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CONTINUITY OF THE LIGHT BULB WAS CONFIRMED. THE LIGHT SOC KET FAILED A SIMILAR CONTINUITY CHECK. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO CHECKED THE PILOT OUT IN THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT ALWAYS USE THE CHECKLIST AND HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH ON BEFORE STARTING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. (.4) THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL ELECTRONIC IGNITION INSTEAD OF MAGNETOS. AFTER LEVELING OFF ON TOP, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HIS PANEL INDICATED A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. AFTER THE BATTERY WAS DEPLETED, THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO IMC CONDITIONS. AFTER BREAKING OUT, HE INITIATED A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BERM AND SLID TO A STOP. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH WAS ON AND THAT THE ALTERNATOR OUT WARNING LIGHT HAD NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO HIS ELECTRICAL LOSS. AFTER RECOVERY, THE BATTERIES WERE CHARGED AND THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. WHEN THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH WAS MOVED TO THE OFF POSITION, THE ALTERNATOR OUT WARNING LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CONTINUITY OF THE LIGHT BULB WAS CONFIRMED. THE LIGHT SOCKET FAILED A SIMILAR CONTINUITY CHECK. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO CHECKED THE PILOT OUT IN THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT ALWAYS USE THE CHECKLIST AND HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN THE ALTERN ATOR SWITCH ON BEFORE STARTING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.