# Incident 20160129000779I: Cessna 172M, Pahokee, FL, January 29, 2016

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 29, 2016, 17:30 local time
- Place: Pahokee, FL
- Airport: Pahokee/Palm Beach
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: YDFS
- Location: 26.8202° N, 80.6620° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pahokee, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.8202&lon=-80.6620&mi=10
- Aircraft: N61588, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N61588) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160129000779I

## Narrative

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

FEBRUARY 2, 2016; ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT WHICH WAS REPORTED TO THIS OFFICE AS FOLLOWS:

AIRCRAFT N61588, A CESSNA 172, REPORTED THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE INBOUND TO KENDALL/TAMIAMI AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT WAS ISSUED A GREEN LIGHT BY TOWER AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

DURING THE INCIDENT; THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING TRAINING FLIGHT UNDER PART 141 FROM ADF AIRWAYS CORP. PILOT SCHOOL LOCATED AT TAMIAMI AIRPORT.

CONTACTED ADF PILOTS SCHOOL OWNER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND REQUESTED A FULL DETAIL AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO INCLUDE THE PILOT AND MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL STATEMENTS.

FEBRUARY 4, 2016, RECEIVED THE PILOT STATEMENT FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

HE STATED IN HIS STATEMENT, THAT ON JANUARY 29, 2016, HE WAS ENROUTE TO MELBOURNE, FLORIDA AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM LOCAL TIME, FLYING UNDER IFR FLIGHT PLAN, WHEN SUDDENLY NOTICED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE.  AFTER RESETTING THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH NO SUCCESS, HE CONTACTED PAHOKEE/PALM BEACH, AIRPORT APPROACH CONTROL VIA PORTABLE RADIO AND REQUESTED A VFR LANDING WHERE HE LANDED SAFELY.

HE FURTHER STATED; HE NOTIFIED ADF PILOTS SCHOOL ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE AIRCRAFT PARKED AT PAHOKEE AIRPORT AND LATER THE SAME DAY WAS PICK-UP BY ANOTHER PILOT FLYING ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FROM ADF.

ON FEBRUARY 2, 2016, ADF FLIGHT SCHOOL SENT INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND A&P MECHANIC^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^; TO PICK-UP THE DOWN AIRCRAFT WITH A SPARE BATTERY.

AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY BY THE MECHANIC, THE AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED AND ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHECKED OKAY. THE MECHANIC RETURNED BACK TO SERVICE THE AIRCRAFT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO TAMIAMI AIRPORT.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED IN HIS SIGNED STATEMENT; THAT DURING THE FLIGHT BACK TO TAMIAMI HE ENCOUNTERED LOSS OF COMMUNICATION AND GPS SYSTEM, AND FORCED HIM TO SHUT DOUWN THE AVIONICS SYSTEM TO AVOID FURTHER DAMAGE. HE THEN CONTACTED TAMIAMI TOWER VIA CELL PHONE TO REQUEST PERMISSION TO LAND WHERE HE LANDED SAFELY.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO PENINSULA AVIONICS SHOP AT TAMIAMI AIRPORT, A CERTIFICATED 145 AVIONICS REPAIR STATION, AND CURRENTLY IS BEING WORK ON TO FIND OUT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

FEBRUARY 17, 2016, RECEIVED A FINAL REPORT AND A COPY OF THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOK SIGN OFF ENTRY BY A&P MECHANIC WITH IA PRIVILEGES ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STATING THAT CAUSE OF THE ECLECTRICAL FAILURE WAS ALSO DUE TO BAD VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND THE ALTENATOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TEST RUN WITH NO DISCREPANCIES AND RETURNED BACK TO SERVICE.  NOTHING FURTHER.

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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