20090729047829I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech A36 · Hartford, CT · July 29, 2009

Date: July 29, 2009 · 11:50 local
Place: Hartford, CT
Airport: Hartford-Brainard
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N6467X
Reported as: Beech A36
Reported engine: Continental IO-520 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,500 total3,500 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N6467XRegistered now · Beech A36S/N E-2056 · Built 1982 Airframe modelBeech A36 Engine modelContinental IO-520 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.

The aircraft experienced a charging system failure during cruise flight in IFR conditions. The pilot was vectored to khfd by ATC while the aircraft battery was discharging. The pilot broke out under the cloud layer at 1500 feet and saw hfd airport. By this time, his battery was almost dead and he was losing nav and comm capabilities. The pilot landed on runway 2 stating he was in and out of the clouds at 1500 feet and didn't want to risk going IFR again without radios. The pilot selected the electronic gear to the down position but it did not extend. The pilot elected to land without performing an emergency gear extension and landed on runway 2 at hfd gear up causing the aircraft to skid on its belly causing minor damage to the aircraft. Total aircraft services in Hartford, CT sent the engine out for overhaul including all acessories and the alternator. When the entire engine assembly was reinstalled, the charging system worked correctly.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT IN IFR CONDITIONS. THE PILOT WAS VECTORED TO KHFD BY ATC WHILE THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY WAS DISCHARGING. THE PILOT BROKE OUT UNDER THE CLOUD LAYER AT 1500 FEET AND SAW HFD AIRPORT. BY THIS TIME, HIS BATTERY WAS ALMOST DEAD AND HE WAS LOSING NAV AND COMM CAPABILITIES. THE PILOT LANDED ON RUNWAY 2 STATING HE WAS IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 1500 FEET AND DIDN'T WANT TO RISK GOING IFR AGAIN WITHOUT RADIOS. THE PILOT SELECTED THE ELECTRONIC GEAR TO THE DOWN POSITION BUT IT DID NOT EXTEND. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND WITHOUT PERFORMING AN EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 2 AT HFD GEAR UP CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SKID ON ITS BELLY CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. TOTAL AIRCRAFT SERVICES IN HARTFORD, CT SENT THE ENGINE OUT FOR OVERHAUL INCLUDING ALL ACESSORIES AND THE ALTERNATOR. WHEN THE ENTIRE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS REINSTALLED, THE CHARGING SYSTEM WORKED CORRECTLY.