# Incident 20090325009869I: Dougla TA4J, Topeka, KS, March 25, 2009

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 25, 2009, 15:00 local time
- Place: Topeka, KS
- Airport: Forbes Field
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0483° N, 95.6780° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Topeka, KS, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0483&lon=-95.6780&mi=10
- Aircraft: N252WL (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUGLA TA4J
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 20,006 total, 2,250 in this make and model, 86 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090325009869I

## Narrative

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

(-23)  THE PILOT WAS PARTICIPATING WITH AN AIR REFUELING TEST WITH A BOEING COMPANY TANKER IN N252WL, A DOUGLAS TA-4 SKYHAWK, WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE.  THE PILOT DEPLOYED THE RAM AIR TURBINE GENERATOR DECIDED TO TERMINATE TESTING AND LOAD RETURN FUEL WHEN THE RAM AIR TURBINE ALSO FAILED.  THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND AT TOPEKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KFOE) AND PREPARED FOR LANDING.  DUE TO THE INOPERATIVE LANDING GEAR ANNUNCIATOR SYSTEM, THE PILOT DECIDED TO ASSURE THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND SAFE BY ACTIVATING THE LANDING GEAR EMERGENCY DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM.  HOWEVER, HE SELECTED AN IDENTICAL ADJACENT HANDLE WHICH JETTISONED THE EMPTY EXTERNAL FUEL TANKS.  THE TANKS LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD CAUSING NO COLLATERAL DAMAGE OR ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD.

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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