20211105020459I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Raytheon A36 · New Braunfels, TX · November 5, 2021

Date
November 5, 2021 · 19:35 local
Place
New Braunfels, TX
Airport
New Braunfels National Airport
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N52CE
Reported as
Raytheon A36
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,914 total323 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days

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.

On Friday November 5, 2021, aircraft N52CE departed kiws at approximately 7:30 pm CDT with approximately 60 gallons of fuel onboard. The flight was to kbaz and the total flight time was estimated to be approximately 50 minutes. About 25 minutes into the flight, the pilot stated that he lost all battery power resulting in a loss of all radios, lights and electrical equipment. He had a garmin 275 back up and a flashlight on board. Pilot descended from 4500 to approximately 3000 feet and used a cell phone to contact a fellow pilot. He asked the fellow pilot to call kbaz and alert them to his approach. The aircraft was on a direct heading to the kbaz so the pilot remained on that heading and identified the airport beacon. As he approached the beacon, the runway lights activated. The pilot then circled the airport several times attempting to manually lower the gear and stated that he thought he had the gear down. He then stated that he felt time was of the essence since he could not be positive about how long the backup instrument would last or if the runway lights would remain on. He concluded that if the backup failed, he would lose airspeed and altitude and decided to land before that happened. Unfortunately, the gear was still retracted and he landed gear up and came to stop off the runway. At this time the pilot does not know why the batteries failed, that will be determined at some point after repairs. He also stated that there was no problem with the gear, it was an error in deployment. His plan is to transport via truck to privacy data omitted in Colorado for repairs.

As the FAA filed it

ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2021, AIRCRAFT N52CE DEPARTED KIWS AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 PM CDT WITH APPROXIMATELY 60 GALLONS OF FUEL ONBOARD. THE FLIGHT WAS TO KBAZ AND THE TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 50 MINUTES. ABOUT 25 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST ALL BATTERY POWER RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ALL RADIOS, LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. HE HAD A GARMIN 275 BACK UP AND A FLASHLIGHT ON BOARD. PILOT DESCENDED FROM 4500 TO APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET AND USED A CELL PHONE TO CONTACT A FELLOW PILOT. HE ASKED THE FELLOW PILOT TO CALL KBAZ AND ALERT THEM TO HIS APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A DIRECT HEADING TO THE KBAZ SO THE PILOT REMAINED ON THAT HEADING AND IDENTIFIED THE AIRPORT BEACON. AS HE APPROACHED THE BEACON, THE RUNWAY LIGHTS ACTIVATED. THE PILOT THEN CIRCLED THE AIRPORT SEVERAL TIMES ATTEMPTING TO MANUALLY LOWER THE GEAR AND STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE GEAR DOWN. HE THEN STATED THAT HE FELT TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE SINCE HE COULD NOT BE POSITIVE ABOUT HOW LONG THE BACKUP INSTRUMENT WOULD LAST OR IF THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WOULD REMAIN ON. HE CONCLUDED THAT IF THE BACKUP FAILED, HE WOULD LOSE AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE AND DECIDED TO LAND BEFORE THAT HAPPENED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE GEAR WAS STILL RETRACTED AND HE LANDED GEAR UP AND CAME TO STOP OFF THE RUNWAY. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT DOES NOT KNOW WHY THE BATTERIES FAILED, THAT WILL BE DETERMINED AT SOME POINT AFTER REPAIRS. HE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR, IT WAS AN ERROR IN DEPLOYMENT. HIS PLAN IS TO TRANSPORT VIA TRUCK TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN COLORADO FOR REPAIRS.