20010220001429I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD · Kahului, HI · February 20, 2001

Date: February 20, 2001 · 08:02 local
Place: Kahului, HI
Airport: Kahului Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2507T
Reported as: Socata TB20TRINIDAD
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,800 total2,100 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N2507TRegistered now · Socata TB-20 TRINIDADS/N 914 Airframe modelSocata TB-20 TRINIDAD Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) Pilot found a/c had dead battery when trying to start engine for flight. He used jumper cables to start a/c, then proceeded to depart on flight. The electrical system was overloaded when the gear was retracted after take-off. With no battery power the electrical relays and alternator were not able to activate or maintain the load, the alternator did not restart as the battery was dead. Departing with dead or low battery caused electrical failure and eventual nosegear collapse.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT FOUND A/C HAD DEAD BATTERY WHEN TRYING TO START ENGINE FOR FLIGHT. HE USED JUMPER CABLES TO START A/C, THEN PROCEEDED TO DEPART ON FLIGHT. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS OVERLOADED WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED AFTER TAKE-OFF. WITH NO BATTERY POWER THE ELECTRICAL RELAYS AND ALTERNATOR WERE NOT ABLE TO ACTIVATE OR MAINTAIN THE LOAD, THE ALTERNATOR DID NOT RESTART AS THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. DEPARTING WITH DEAD OR LOW BATTERY CAUSED ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND EVENTUAL NOSEGEAR COLLAPSE.