What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N260ND, PA-28-161, a Piper cherokee, made a precautionary landing in a field at 791 eas broadway in haverhill ma due to a complete electrical failure at 10:00 EDT, 07/11/2008. There were no injuries reported and only minor damge to the aircraft. There was no ATC involvement. The pilot, privacy data omitted, with his son, departed hanscom field (bedfor ma) to do some touch and go's at Lawrence Municipal Airport and then continue on the coast to do some sightseeing before returning to hanscom field. Some time during the flight the engne alternator failed. The main battery immediately began discharging because it was running all of the avionics and lights. After approximately one hour the pilot noticed that all the radios, avionics, including the engine instruments were not operational. This included the engine oil pressure gauge that also went to zero. privacy data omitted Thought that the engine oil pressure gauge was reading zero and there was no oil pressure in the engine. He assumed that the engine could fail at any time. Since privacy data omitted is a low time private pilot with approximately 120 hours, he thought he should not take a chance with a possible bad engine over a densely populated area. He decided to land in an open field that he observed below. As it turned out it was only a bad engine alternator and he had a dead battery. The engine oil pressure was still good but the pilot had no way of knowing this. The oil pressure gauge is operated by battery DC current. It seems at the time privacy data omitted made a prudent decision given his low time as a pilot and the information he had to work with at the time. The aircraft damage included a bent propeller, a bent engine mount, some minor nose gear damage and a bent left main gear strut.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N260ND, PA-28-161, A PIPER CHEROKEE, MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FIELD AT 791 EAS BROADWAY IN HAVERHILL MA DUE TO A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT 10:00 EDT, 07/11/2008. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED AND ONLY MINOR DAMGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO ATC INVOLVEMENT. THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WITH HIS SON, DEPARTED HANSCOM FIELD (BEDFOR MA) TO DO SOME TOUCH AND GO'S AT LAWRENCE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND THEN CONTINUE ON THE COAST TO DO SOME SIGHTSEEING BEFORE RETURNING TO HANSCOM FIELD. SOME TIME DURING THE FLIGHT THE ENGNE ALTERNATOR FAILED. THE MAIN BATTERY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN DISCHARGING BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING ALL OF THE AVIONICS AND LIGHTS. AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR THE PILOT NOTICED THAT ALL THE RADIOS, AVIONICS, INCLUDING THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT OPERATIONAL. THIS INCLUDED THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE THAT ALSO WENT TO ZERO. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THOUGHT THAT THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS READING ZERO AND THERE WAS NO OIL PRESSURE IN THE ENGINE. HE ASSUMED THAT THE ENGINE COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME. SINCE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A LOW TIME PRIVATE PILOT WITH APPROXIMATELY 120 HOURS, HE THOUGHT HE SHOULD NOT TAKE A CHANCE WITH A POSSIBLE BAD ENGINE OVER A DENSELY POPULATED AREA. HE DECIDED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD THAT HE OBSERVED BELOW. AS IT TURNED OUT IT WAS ONLY A BAD ENGINE ALTERNATOR AND HE HAD A DEAD BATTERY. THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WAS STILL GOOD BUT THE PILOT HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THIS. THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE IS OPERATED BY BATTERY DC CURRENT. IT SEEMS AT THE TIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A PRUDENT DECISION GIVEN HIS LOW TIME AS A PILOT AND THE INFORMATION HE HAD TO WORK WITH AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE INCLUDED A BENT PROPELLER, A BENT ENGINE MOUNT, SOME MINOR NOSE GEAR DAMAGE AND A BENT LEFT MAIN GEAR STRUT.
Other reports on N260ND · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.