# Incident 20110402004579I: Piper PA-28-181, Indianapolis, IN, April 2, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 2, 2011, 17:05 local time
- Place: Indianapolis, IN
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7684° N, 86.1580° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Indianapolis, IN, within about 11 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7684&lon=-86.1580&mi=10
- Aircraft: N284HP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N284HP) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110402004579I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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