What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 9, 2004, merlin N226SR was on an IFR flight plan enroute from santa ana, CA. To Telluride, CO. During the flight the right generator went off line and was reset to bring it back online. During the descent into Telluride, CO. The right generator failed again and could not be reset. The pilot continued for the loc/dme rwy 9 instrument approach. As the aircraft passed over cones VOR the pilot turned on the left pitot heat and the load meter went to high voltage and then to zero. The left generator went off line and could not be reset. The pilot elected to continue the approach on battery power. At approximately 6 miles from the airport the battery failed and the entire electrical system went dead. The pilot went missed approach using standby instrumentation on the co-pilots side of the instrument panel and was unable to transmit their intentions to denver center. During the missed approach the aircraft entered VFR conditions at which time the pilot maintained VFR conditions and diverted to delta, CO. The pilot landed safely at delta, CO. And contacted denver center via cell phone. During post-incident maintenance of the generators it was discovered that when the right generator failed the generator control unit also failed. The reason for the right generator failure was determined to be bearing failure. The left generator is still at maintenance and the reason for failure has not been disclosed. The battery was removed and charged with no apparent component malfunctions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 9, 2004, MERLIN N226SR WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN ENROUTE FROM SANTA ANA, CA. TO TELLURIDE, CO. DURING THE FLIGHT THE RIGHT GENERATOR WENT OFF LINE AND WAS RESET TO BRING IT BACK ONLINE. DURING THE DESCENT INTO TELLURIDE, CO. THE RIGHT GENERATOR FAILED AGAIN AND COULD NOT BE RESET. THE PILOT CONTINUED FOR THE LOC/DME RWY 9 INSTRUMENT APPROACH. AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER CONES VOR THE PILOT TURNED ON THE LEFT PITOT HEAT AND THE LOAD METER WENT TO HIGH VOLTAGE AND THEN TO ZERO. THE LEFT GENERATOR WENT OFF LINE AND COULD NOT BE RESET. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH ON BATTERY POWER. AT APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THE BATTERY FAILED AND THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT DEAD. THE PILOT WENT MISSED APPROACH USING STANDBY INSTRUMENTATION ON THE CO-PILOTS SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND WAS UNABLE TO TRANSMIT THEIR INTENTIONS TO DENVER CENTER. DURING THE MISSED APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED VFR CONDITIONS AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT MAINTAINED VFR CONDITIONS AND DIVERTED TO DELTA, CO. THE PILOT LANDED SAFELY AT DELTA, CO. AND CONTACTED DENVER CENTER VIA CELL PHONE. DURING POST-INCIDENT MAINTENANCE OF THE GENERATORS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT WHEN THE RIGHT GENERATOR FAILED THE GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT ALSO FAILED. THE REASON FOR THE RIGHT GENERATOR FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE BEARING FAILURE. THE LEFT GENERATOR IS STILL AT MAINTENANCE AND THE REASON FOR FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DISCLOSED. THE BATTERY WAS REMOVED AND CHARGED WITH NO APPARENT COMPONENT MALFUNCTIONS.
Other reports on N226SR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.