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20031011029939I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 414 · Fargo, ND · October 11, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 11, 2003 · 12:03 local
Place
Fargo, ND
Airport
Hector International
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N69681
Reported as
Cessna 414
Pilot’s flight hours
2,800 total384 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N69681Registration cancelled Apr 4, 2017 · Cessna 414S/N 414-0622 · Built 1975Airframe modelCessna 414Engine modelContinental TSIO-520 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) Aircraft departed gpz for IFR flight to wdg. While enroute aircraft encountered total electrical failure after pilot turned on prop de-ice. The pilot made a VFR approach to FAR and landed with the gear partially extended as he had not fully extended the gear manually. Both propellers, nose gear bellcrank, all antennas on the fuselage belly and skins were damaged. Post incident investigation revealed the right alternator field wire to be separated from the connector on the stude. Review of the pilot statement revealed the aircraft battery was dead prior to the flight due to the door light being left on after the last flight. The pilot had the aircraft jump started with external power and proceeded with the IFR flight with a completely discharged battery. When IFR, the pilot lost all electrical when prop deice was selected. This likely happened due to the battery not having any reserve and the likely loss of right alternator leaving the left alternator to carry all load which it could not do.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GPZ FOR IFR FLIGHT TO WDG. WHILE ENROUTE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AFTER PILOT TURNED ON PROP DE-ICE. THE PILOT MADE A VFR APPROACH TO FAR AND LANDED WITH THE GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED AS HE HAD NOT FULLY EXTENDED THE GEAR MANUALLY. BOTH PROPELLERS, NOSE GEAR BELLCRANK, ALL ANTENNAS ON THE FUSELAGE BELLY AND SKINS WERE DAMAGED. POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RIGHT ALTERNATOR FIELD WIRE TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE CONNECTOR ON THE STUDE. REVIEW OF THE PILOT STATEMENT REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY WAS DEAD PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT DUE TO THE DOOR LIGHT BEING LEFT ON AFTER THE LAST FLIGHT. THE PILOT HAD THE AIRCRAFT JUMP STARTED WITH EXTERNAL POWER AND PROCEEDED WITH THE IFR FLIGHT WITH A COMPLETELY DISCHARGED BATTERY. WHEN IFR, THE PILOT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL WHEN PROP DEICE WAS SELECTED. THIS LIKELY HAPPENED DUE TO THE BATTERY NOT HAVING ANY RESERVE AND THE LIKELY LOSS OF RIGHT ALTERNATOR LEAVING THE LEFT ALTERNATOR TO CARRY ALL LOAD WHICH IT COULD NOT DO.