# Incident 20041126031529I: Piper PA32R301T, Porterville, CA, November 26, 2004

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 26, 2004, 10:26 local time
- Place: Porterville, CA
- Airport: Porterville Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.0296° N, 119.0627° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PORTERVILLE MUNI (PTV), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0296&lon=-119.0627&mi=10
- Aircraft: N81DJ (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R301T
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,030 total, 380 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041126031529I

## Narrative

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

(-23) DURING A FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FROM VAN NUYS, CA TO MAMMOTH, CA, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING. INITIALLY, AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT WAS BLINKING ON AND OFF FOLLOWED BY THE LOAD METER INDICATING BATTERY DISCHARGE. THE PILOT NOTIFIED ATC AND WAS ISSUED AN IFR CLEARANCE TO DIVERT TO BAKERSFIELD, CA WHERE THE WEATHER WAS 2.5 MILES VISIBILITY IN HAZE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC. HE DIVERTED TO PORTERVILLE, CA WHICH HAD VFR VISIBILITY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO LANDING USING THE ALTERNATE PROCEDURE AND REPORTED SEEING GEAR DOWN INDICATOR LIGHTS (HE STATED HE TURNED MASTER SWITCH ON AND THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL POWER FOR THE LIGHTS). UPON LANDING, THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE AND PROPELLER. AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM PRECIPITATED THIS INCIDENT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE GEAR USING THE ALTERNATE PROCEDURE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL RAISING THE POSSIBILITY THE GEAR ITSELF MALFUNCTIONED. THE PILOT FLEW FOR A PERIOD OF TIME IGNORING THE ANNUNCIATOR BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IT TO BE ERRONEOUS. HE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS ON PREVIOUS FLIGHTS AND REPORTED IT TO HIS MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE/DIAGNOSE. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED TO DISCONTINUE FLIGHT WHEN THERE IS INDICATION OF EQUIPMENT/SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND HE ASSURED THAT HE WILL COMPLY IN THE FUTURE. ON 11-30-2004, INSPECTORF FROM FAT FSDO WP-17 TRAVELED TO PTV TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED TO A HANGAR AND WAS ON A DOLLY. NO ATTEMPT HAD BEEN MADE TO EXTEND THE GEAR AFTER THE INCIDENT. WHEN FAA INSPECTORS WERE PRESENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED AND EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED. THE LANDING GEAR THEN EXTENDED. THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE AND ENGINE TEAR DOWN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. A FOLLOW UP INSPECTION WILL BE CONDUCTED WHEN THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAN BE DETERMINED PRIOR TO RELEASE OF AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE.

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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