20010506015399I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 150L · Watsonville, CA · May 6, 2001

Date: May 6, 2001 · 14:30 local
Place: Watsonville, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1390Q
Reported as: Cessna 150L
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 500 total350 in this make and model20 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.

(-23) The transponder antenna cable connector had vibrated into a position where it came into contact with the alternator terminal buss bar. This caused a short and the insulation on the antenna cable got hot and started smoking. The cause of the antenna cable movement, other than possible clamp breakage, was not determined. Radio shop is to inspect and issue m or d when cause is determined.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE TRANSPONDER ANTENNA CABLE CONNECTOR HAD VIBRATED INTO A POSITION WHERE IT CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE ALTERNATOR TERMINAL BUSS BAR. THIS CAUSED A SHORT AND THE INSULATION ON THE ANTENNA CABLE GOT HOT AND STARTED SMOKING. THE CAUSE OF THE ANTENNA CABLE MOVEMENT, OTHER THAN POSSIBLE CLAMP BREAKAGE, WAS NOT DETERMINED. RADIO SHOP IS TO INSPECT AND ISSUE M OR D WHEN CAUSE IS DETERMINED.