19990710008689A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 177RG · Jasper, AL · July 10, 1999

Date
July 10, 1999 · 01:15 local
Place
Jasper, AL
Airport
Walker County Bevill Field
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2619V
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA99LA194
Reported as
Cessna 177RG
Reported engine
Lycoming IO360A1B6
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
168 total131 in this make and model45 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.

With engine runnins, acft lost all electric power, rwy at jfx was unlit, acft impacted trees climbing out after balked landing attempt. 1 minor injurey. (.4)about 22 miles from the airport the pilot said the airplane's electrical system became inoperative, resulting in a total loss of electrical power. The pilot was unable to activate the runway lights at the airport, because the airplane's radios were inoperative, and he could not activate the runway lighting system. The pilot stated he found the airport, but could not see the runway. He decided to land without any lights. He adjusted the flaps to no avail, because the flaps were electric. Just before touching down he could see the white strips on the runway to his left. The airplane touched down, but the right landing gear was off the runway on the grass. He applied power to make a second attempt. On the second landing, when he saw the white strips, he was 'right on them,' flared, but bounced, and the airplane floated. When he touched down again, 'the plane felt as if it was sk idding sideways,' and he decided to go around again. He said, 'I guess I must have become somewhat disoriented, as I banked left much too soon thinking I remember trees at the end of the runway. At that moment I saw the outlines of tree tops in front of me. I tried to pick the lowest point, but struck one. The plane began to tumble, and the I was on the ground hanging upside down from the seat belt.' A test run was performed on the engine and no discrepancies were found. The alternator and voltage regulator were tested, and both units bench checked with no defects.

As the FAA filed it

WITH ENGINE RUNNINS, ACFT LOST ALL ELECTRIC POWER, RWY AT JFX WAS UNLIT, ACFT IMPACTED TREES CLIMBING OUT AFTER BALKED LANDING ATTEMPT. 1 MINOR INJUREY. (.4)ABOUT 22 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BECAME INOPERATIVE, RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AT THE AIRPORT, BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE'S RADIOS WERE INOPERATIVE, AND HE COULD NOT ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTING SYSTEM. THE PILOT STATED HE FOUND THE AIRPORT, BUT COULD NOT SEE THE RUNWAY. HE DECIDED TO LAND WITHOUT ANY LIGHTS. HE ADJUSTED THE FLAPS TO NO AVAIL, BECAUSE THE FLAPS WERE ELECTRIC. JUST BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN HE COULD SEE THE WHITE STRIPS ON THE RUNWAY TO HIS LEFT. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, BUT THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR WAS OFF THE RUNWAY ON THE GRASS. HE APPLIED POWER TO MAKE A SECOND ATTEMPT. ON THE SECOND LANDING, WHEN HE SAW THE WHITE STRIPS, HE WAS 'RIGHT ON THEM,' FLARED, BUT BOUNCED, AND THE AIRPLANE FLOATED. WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN, 'THE PLANE FELT AS IF IT WAS SK IDDING SIDEWAYS,' AND HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND AGAIN. HE SAID, 'I GUESS I MUST HAVE BECOME SOMEWHAT DISORIENTED, AS I BANKED LEFT MUCH TOO SOON THINKING I REMEMBER TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. AT THAT MOMENT I SAW THE OUTLINES OF TREE TOPS IN FRONT OF ME. I TRIED TO PICK THE LOWEST POINT, BUT STRUCK ONE. THE PLANE BEGAN TO TUMBLE, AND THE I WAS ON THE GROUND HANGING UPSIDE DOWN FROM THE SEAT BELT.' A TEST RUN WAS PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. THE ALTERNATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR WERE TESTED, AND BOTH UNITS BENCH CHECKED WITH NO DEFECTS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N2619V · 2

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