20031005032009I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Lititz, PA · October 5, 2003

Date: October 5, 2003 · 14:18 local
Place: Lititz, PA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N734HL
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Reported engine: Lycoming O320D2B
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0

N734HLRegistration cancelled Jan 26, 2018 · Cessna 172NS/N 17268866 · Built 1977 Airframe modelCessna 172N Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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) While in cruise flight crew observed voltage regulator needle increase off scale. Next, crew heard a popping sound from behind the fuel gauge. Crew also noted a small flash of light from behind the fuel gauge followed by some smoke. Pilot stated that he then shut down all electrical power and opened windows to vent smoke. Hand held radio was used to declare emergency, flew to lancaster, the closest airport, and completed an uneventful landing. Aircraft then taxied to FBO ramp under its own power. Post flight inspection indicates that the fuel gauge shorted internally causing an overload to the electrical system, damaging the alternator and some associated wiring. Circuit breaker protection did not function as designed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT CREW OBSERVED VOLTAGE REGULATOR NEEDLE INCREASE OFF SCALE. NEXT, CREW HEARD A POPPING SOUND FROM BEHIND THE FUEL GAUGE. CREW ALSO NOTED A SMALL FLASH OF LIGHT FROM BEHIND THE FUEL GAUGE FOLLOWED BY SOME SMOKE. PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND OPENED WINDOWS TO VENT SMOKE. HAND HELD RADIO WAS USED TO DECLARE EMERGENCY, FLEW TO LANCASTER, THE CLOSEST AIRPORT, AND COMPLETED AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. AIRCRAFT THEN TAXIED TO FBO RAMP UNDER ITS OWN POWER. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION INDICATES THAT THE FUEL GAUGE SHORTED INTERNALLY CAUSING AN OVERLOAD TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, DAMAGING THE ALTERNATOR AND SOME ASSOCIATED WIRING. CIRCUIT BREAKER PROTECTION DID NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED.