20040715012809I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 172A · Salt Lake City, UT · July 15, 2004

Date: July 15, 2004 · 23:20 local
Place: Salt Lake City, UT
Airport: Salt Lake City International
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N7440T
Reported as: Cessna 172A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 60 total10 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N7440TRegistered now · Cessna 172AS/N 47040 · Built 1960 Airframe modelCessna 172A Engine modelContinental 0-300 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) Pilot was on flight to Salt Lake City at night. Pilot was instructed to switch to tower frequency, pilot complied and was not able to make contact with tower. At that time pilot noted a discharge indication on the ammeter, pilot turned off all unnecessary electronics, attempted to switch to emergency code on transponder but inadvertently selected 7500. Pilot only had small key chain flash light in cockpit. Cockpit lights began to dim and went out. Pilot was looking for bountiful skypark airport and realized he wouldn't be able to turn on runway lights because of electrical failure so he headed for runway 17 at Salt lake international and landed without clearance. Pilot did not see any light gun signals from tower. Aircraft landed without further incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS ON FLIGHT TO SALT LAKE CITY AT NIGHT. PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH TO TOWER FREQUENCY, PILOT COMPLIED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH TOWER. AT THAT TIME PILOT NOTED A DISCHARGE INDICATION ON THE AMMETER, PILOT TURNED OFF ALL UNNECESSARY ELECTRONICS, ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO EMERGENCY CODE ON TRANSPONDER BUT INADVERTENTLY SELECTED 7500. PILOT ONLY HAD SMALL KEY CHAIN FLASH LIGHT IN COCKPIT. COCKPIT LIGHTS BEGAN TO DIM AND WENT OUT. PILOT WAS LOOKING FOR BOUNTIFUL SKYPARK AIRPORT AND REALIZED HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TURN ON RUNWAY LIGHTS BECAUSE OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE SO HE HEADED FOR RUNWAY 17 AT SALT LAKE INTERNATIONAL AND LANDED WITHOUT CLEARANCE. PILOT DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM TOWER. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.