# Incident 20020224002609I: Cessna 421C, Honolulu, HI, February 24, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 24, 2002, 08:00 local time
- Place: Honolulu, HI
- Airport: Honolulu International Airport
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 21.3069° N, 157.8583° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Honolulu, HI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.3069&lon=-157.8583&mi=10
- Aircraft: N886DM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N886DM-2025-10-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 421C (registry code 2076016, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-421c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental GTSI0-520-F-K (registry code 17031, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-gtsi0-520-f-k) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 421C
- Reported engine: CONT GTSIO520*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 9,200 total, 200 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020224002609I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PIC REPORTED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE DEVELOPED AN INTERMITTENT ROUGHNESS FOLLOWED BY AN ANNUNCIATION LIGHT WITH A LEFT ALTERNATOR FAILURE. ABOUT 15-30 SECONDS AFTER THE ANNUNCIATION ALTERNATOR LIGHT, THE AIRPLANE HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. THE LEFT ENGINE DEVELOPED SMOKING COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE COWLING. THE ENGINE WAS SECURED AND AN ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE HNL TOWER ON A CELL POWERED TELEPHONE, SINCE ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST. THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND AND HAD TO MANUALLY EXTEND USING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. THE PIC LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. MAINTENANCE FINDINGS: THE MECHANIC HAS DETERMINED THE STARTER RELAY BURNT OUT AND CAUSING THE STARTER TO ACT AS A GENERATOR. THE STARTER RELAY FAILURE CAUSED THE COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE MECHANIC WILL SUBMIT AN FAA FORM 8010-4 MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT REPORT ON THE SHORTED STARTER RELAY.

## Other reports on N886DM (1)

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

- [Incident 19900202007229I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900202007229I), Feb 2, 1990: Cessna 421C (N886DM), Lubbock, TX, Minor damage. Windshield delaminated during descent. Moved to right seat and landed without incident.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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