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20010927033389I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 421C · Lincoln, NE · September 27, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 27, 2001 · 18:25 local
Place
Lincoln, NE
Airport
Lincoln Municipal
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8HT
Reported as
Cessna 421C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,350 total100 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days
N8HTRegistered now · Cessna 421CS/N 421C0618 · Built 1978Airframe modelCessna 421CEngine modelContinental GTSI0-520-F-KReciprocating

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) On Thursday, September 27, 2001, N8HT, a Cessna 421C serial number 421C0618 experienced a gear-up landing on runway 17R at the Lincoln Nebraska municipal airport (lnk). The part 91 flight originated at the johnson county executive airport, (ojc), and after establishing cruise altitude the pilot in command observed a flickering right alternator warning light soon followed by a steady light indicating right alternator failure. The pilot in command performed the abnormal procedures in the POH in an attempt to reset the right alternator without success. Shortly after performing the abnormal procedures for the right alternator, the warning light for the left alternator began flickering, followed by a steady warning light indicating left alternator failure. This occurred approximately thirty minutes from arrival at Lincoln. The pilot in command notified air traffic of the second alternator failure and his intent to continue to Lincoln due to the emergency capablilities that were available. After being transferred to the Lincoln approach control facility the battery voltage on the aircraft started to drop, and high amperage reading across the battery was observed. At approximately twenty-five miles from the airport, the aircraft lost all electrical power. The pilot continued under visual flight to the airport and entered left traffic, and received a green light to land. The pilot used a hand held radio to establish contact with the Lincoln control tower and requested a verification that the landing gear was down. The response was negative. The pilot in command was vectored east in an attempt to perform an emergency gear extension. All procedures in the POH were followed with negative results. The pilot stated the cable pull was approximately one and one-half inches. After numerous attempts to extend the landing gear a gear-up landing was performed on runway 17R. The pilot and passenger did not receive any injuries and the damage to the aircraft was to the propellers, lower antennas, fuselage belly skin, and exhaust stacks. Maintenance investigation revealed an incorrect emergency gear extension cable clamp was installed during the last annual inspection. The electrical issues with this aircraft are still under investigation. Enforcement action will be filed against the maintenance provider.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2001, N8HT, A CESSNA 421C SERIAL NUMBER 421C0618 EXPERIENCED A GEAR-UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 17R AT THE LINCOLN NEBRASKA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (LNK). THE PART 91 FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE JOHNSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, (OJC), AND AFTER ESTABLISHING CRUISE ALTITUDE THE PILOT IN COMMAND OBSERVED A FLICKERING RIGHT ALTERNATOR WARNING LIGHT SOON FOLLOWED BY A STEADY LIGHT INDICATING RIGHT ALTERNATOR FAILURE. THE PILOT IN COMMAND PERFORMED THE ABNORMAL PROCEDURES IN THE POH IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESET THE RIGHT ALTERNATOR WITHOUT SUCCESS. SHORTLY AFTER PERFORMING THE ABNORMAL PROCEDURES FOR THE RIGHT ALTERNATOR, THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE LEFT ALTERNATOR BEGAN FLICKERING, FOLLOWED BY A STEADY WARNING LIGHT INDICATING LEFT ALTERNATOR FAILURE. THIS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES FROM ARRIVAL AT LINCOLN. THE PILOT IN COMMAND NOTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC OF THE SECOND ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND HIS INTENT TO CONTINUE TO LINCOLN DUE TO THE EMERGENCY CAPABLILITIES THAT WERE AVAILABLE. AFTER BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE LINCOLN APPROACH CONTROL FACILITY THE BATTERY VOLTAGE ON THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DROP, AND HIGH AMPERAGE READING ACROSS THE BATTERY WAS OBSERVED. AT APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-FIVE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. THE PILOT CONTINUED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT TO THE AIRPORT AND ENTERED LEFT TRAFFIC, AND RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT TO LAND. THE PILOT USED A HAND HELD RADIO TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE LINCOLN CONTROL TOWER AND REQUESTED A VERIFICATION THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN. THE RESPONSE WAS NEGATIVE. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS VECTORED EAST IN AN ATTEMPT TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION. ALL PROCEDURES IN THE POH WERE FOLLOWED WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. THE PILOT STATED THE CABLE PULL WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE-HALF INCHES. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR A GEAR-UP LANDING WAS PERFORMED ON RUNWAY 17R. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES AND THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO THE PROPELLERS, LOWER ANTENNAS, FUSELAGE BELLY SKIN, AND EXHAUST STACKS. MAINTENANCE INVESTIGATION REVEALED AN INCORRECT EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CABLE CLAMP WAS INSTALLED DURING THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THIS AIRCRAFT ARE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. ENFORCEMENT ACTION WILL BE FILED AGAINST THE MAINTENANCE PROVIDER.