20110402004579I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Indianapolis, IN · April 2, 2011

Date
April 2, 2011 · 17:05 local
Place
Indianapolis, IN
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N284HP
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

This newly licensed private pilot and owner stated he was on a flight from Georgia to appleton, Wisconsin with two passengers aboard. He made a fuel stop at jeffersonville, Indiana (jvy). He explained that as the flight continued, about an hour north of jvy, louisville approach provided vectors around active moa airspace. He stated that in the vicinity of this moa, he observed a bronze, globe-like object coming towards the aircraft at a high closure rate. He called it out to ATC and was told there was nothing there. He said that the object continued to close upon the aircraft, apparently growing larger in the windshield. He said that just as it appeared to him that it would engulf the plane, it vanished. He stated that at that moment, the plane lost electrical power to its two garmin 430 GPS nav/com units. He said he entered 7600 on the transponder and using an ipad which was on the lap of his right seat passenger, he navigated to kind where he landed without incident. According to the pilot, moments prior to touchdown, the electrical power returned, and his radios functioned normally. Indianapolis air traffic control confirmed that the plane did track to Indianapolis, displaying a 7600 squawk code. According to air traffic control, at 2 miles out on final to runway 32, the pilot contacted the tower, requested clearance to land and was cleared. The pilot stated that he arranged for a local mechanic to inspect the plane and nothing was found that would explain the electrical failure. The flight continued to outagamie county regional airport (atw) Wisconsin with a stop at gary, Indiana (gyy). The pilot stated that he arranged a thorough inspection by his home base mechanic at atw with no findings of any cause for the electrical failure.

As the FAA filed it

THIS NEWLY LICENSED PRIVATE PILOT AND OWNER STATED HE WAS ON A FLIGHT FROM GEORGIA TO APPLETON, WISCONSIN WITH TWO PASSENGERS ABOARD. HE MADE A FUEL STOP AT JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA (JVY). HE EXPLAINED THAT AS THE FLIGHT CONTINUED, ABOUT AN HOUR NORTH OF JVY, LOUISVILLE APPROACH PROVIDED VECTORS AROUND ACTIVE MOA AIRSPACE. HE STATED THAT IN THE VICINITY OF THIS MOA, HE OBSERVED A BRONZE, GLOBE-LIKE OBJECT COMING TOWARDS THE AIRCRAFT AT A HIGH CLOSURE RATE. HE CALLED IT OUT TO ATC AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THERE. HE SAID THAT THE OBJECT CONTINUED TO CLOSE UPON THE AIRCRAFT, APPARENTLY GROWING LARGER IN THE WINDSHIELD. HE SAID THAT JUST AS IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT IT WOULD ENGULF THE PLANE, IT VANISHED. HE STATED THAT AT THAT MOMENT, THE PLANE LOST ELECTRICAL POWER TO ITS TWO GARMIN 430 GPS NAV/COM UNITS. HE SAID HE ENTERED 7600 ON THE TRANSPONDER AND USING AN IPAD WHICH WAS ON THE LAP OF HIS RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER, HE NAVIGATED TO KIND WHERE HE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, MOMENTS PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE ELECTRICAL POWER RETURNED, AND HIS RADIOS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. INDIANAPOLIS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CONFIRMED THAT THE PLANE DID TRACK TO INDIANAPOLIS, DISPLAYING A 7600 SQUAWK CODE. ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, AT 2 MILES OUT ON FINAL TO RUNWAY 32, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE TOWER, REQUESTED CLEARANCE TO LAND AND WAS CLEARED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ARRANGED FOR A LOCAL MECHANIC TO INSPECT THE PLANE AND NOTHING WAS FOUND THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO OUTAGAMIE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (ATW) WISCONSIN WITH A STOP AT GARY, INDIANA (GYY). THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ARRANGED A THOROUGH INSPECTION BY HIS HOME BASE MECHANIC AT ATW WITH NO FINDINGS OF ANY CAUSE FOR THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE.