What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/15/2014,an accident investigation was conducted concerning a Beech H35 registration N647Q which occurred on 10/14/2014 at approximately 1600 MDT. This accident happened at the bountiful airport (btf) in Utah.
Order of events:
10-13-2014 Pilot take aviation fuel (26 gallons) from the bountiful airport and flies the aircraft to alpine, WY.
10-14-2014 Due to the pilot leaving the electrical master switch on all night the battery is depleted. Due to this issue, the pilot jump starts the aircraft with his vehicle. The pilot is unaware there is not enough charge in the battery to charge the field wire on the newly installed alternator. The pilot takes off from alpine, WY and during the climb out attempts to retract the landing gear. There is a total electrical failure due to the alternator not charging and the high amperage demand of the landing gear motor completely depleting the battery. The pilot elects to fly the aircraft back to bountiful, UT; due to the availability of maintenance. Aircraft arrives and performs a low level fly by and scrapes the hanging landing gear. The pilot manually lowers the landing gear. The pilot elects to perform 2 low level passes before finally landing, pilot lands aircraft centered on runway with a tail wind crossing to the right. A visit to the accident scene yielded the following results. The aircraft was heading north lined up with runway 34 when the final landing attempt was made. The aircraft landed centered on the runway on the south end and traveled approximately 482? Before exiting the runway surface. A visual inspection of the runway by inspectors showed no evidence the brakes had been applied during the touchdown (tire marks were evident on the runway). When the aircraft left the runway it struck a runway light with the landing gear. The aircraft continued to travel approximately 2000? In the grass median between the runway and the taxiway, a sign is struck with the left wing causing damage to the leading edge, the aircraft hops three taxiway connectors that run east to west. At approximately 1696? Of travel the aircraft gets up onto the taxiway still under power no evidence of application of brakes. The aircraft travels another 264? Before the right wing contacts a gate post; causing damage to the right wing spar. The aircraft travels another 10? And the prop contacts a structure (hanger) causing damage to the prop. No other mechanical issues have been noted.
An inspection of aircraft records was conducted and yielded one result that may have contributed to the accident. On June 12, 2014 the generator system was removed and replaced with an approved alternator system. The pilot at the time of the interview was not aware of how this system operated (the requirement to make sure sufficient battery power was available to the field wire of the system to ensure the charging system would function properly).
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/15/2014,AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED CONCERNING A BEECH H35 REGISTRATION N647Q WHICH OCCURRED ON 10/14/2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 MDT. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT THE BOUNTIFUL AIRPORT (BTF) IN UTAH.
ORDER OF EVENTS:
10-13-2014 PILOT TAKE AVIATION FUEL (26 GALLONS) FROM THE BOUNTIFUL AIRPORT AND FLIES THE AIRCRAFT TO ALPINE, WY.
10-14-2014 DUE TO THE PILOT LEAVING THE ELECTRICAL MASTER SWITCH ON ALL NIGHT THE BATTERY IS DEPLETED. DUE TO THIS ISSUE, THE PILOT JUMP STARTS THE AIRCRAFT WITH HIS VEHICLE. THE PILOT IS UNAWARE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CHARGE IN THE BATTERY TO CHARGE THE FIELD WIRE ON THE NEWLY INSTALLED ALTERNATOR. THE PILOT TAKES OFF FROM ALPINE, WY AND DURING THE CLIMB OUT ATTEMPTS TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR. THERE IS A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE DUE TO THE ALTERNATOR NOT CHARGING AND THE HIGH AMPERAGE DEMAND OF THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR COMPLETELY DEPLETING THE BATTERY. THE PILOT ELECTS TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO BOUNTIFUL, UT; DUE TO THE AVAILABILITY OF MAINTENANCE. AIRCRAFT ARRIVES AND PERFORMS A LOW LEVEL FLY BY AND SCRAPES THE HANGING LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT MANUALLY LOWERS THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT ELECTS TO PERFORM 2 LOW LEVEL PASSES BEFORE FINALLY LANDING, PILOT LANDS AIRCRAFT CENTERED ON RUNWAY WITH A TAIL WIND CROSSING TO THE RIGHT. A VISIT TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE YIELDED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING NORTH LINED UP WITH RUNWAY 34 WHEN THE FINAL LANDING ATTEMPT WAS MADE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED CENTERED ON THE RUNWAY ON THE SOUTH END AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 482? BEFORE EXITING THE RUNWAY SURFACE. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY BY INSPECTORS SHOWED NO EVIDENCE THE BRAKES HAD BEEN APPLIED DURING THE TOUCHDOWN (TIRE MARKS WERE EVIDENT ON THE RUNWAY). WHEN THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY IT STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT WITH THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TRAVEL APPROXIMATELY 2000? IN THE GRASS MEDIAN BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND THE TAXIWAY, A SIGN IS STRUCK WITH THE LEFT WING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE, THE AIRCRAFT HOPS THREE TAXIWAY CONNECTORS THAT RUN EAST TO WEST. AT APPROXIMATELY 1696? OF TRAVEL THE AIRCRAFT GETS UP ONTO THE TAXIWAY STILL UNDER POWER NO EVIDENCE OF APPLICATION OF BRAKES. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELS ANOTHER 264? BEFORE THE RIGHT WING CONTACTS A GATE POST; CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING SPAR. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELS ANOTHER 10? AND THE PROP CONTACTS A STRUCTURE (HANGER) CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE PROP. NO OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES HAVE BEEN NOTED.
AN INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT RECORDS WAS CONDUCTED AND YIELDED ONE RESULT THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. ON JUNE 12, 2014 THE GENERATOR SYSTEM WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH AN APPROVED ALTERNATOR SYSTEM. THE PILOT AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW WAS NOT AWARE OF HOW THIS SYSTEM OPERATED (THE REQUIREMENT TO MAKE SURE SUFFICIENT BATTERY POWER WAS AVAILABLE TO THE FIELD WIRE OF THE SYSTEM TO ENSURE THE CHARGING SYSTEM WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N647Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.