What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omittedWas enroute VFR from kbow to F45 departing at 1522 EST following completion of scheduled maintenance cycle that included removal of standard landing gear (tail wheel configuration) and re-installation of sea plane floats privacy data omitted, based at kbow. Additional maintenance squawk included resolving higher than normal oil temps by replacing vernatherm, oil cooler filter adapter and primary oil cooler after a thorough examination of all components. High oil temp issue was resolved and logged by test flights performed by maintenance personnel. Prior to departure the normal checklist was preformed which includes an electrical check of battery voltage (both primary and EFIS backup) and alternator output, all nominal.
Approximately 8 minutes (12 nautical miles) nw from F45 the primary components of the instrument panel went dark, including radios 1 & 2, GPS navigator, audio panel, intercom, auto pilot, sxm weather, ADS-B, transponder. The back-up EFIS battery engaged and maintained the ahars on the garmin G3X PFD and secondary G3X. A garmin 696 portable with internal battery and separate sxm weather antenna continued to function.
At the time of the power interruption the weather was VMC with light rain showers and the aircraft was diverting to the NE around the north side of 06FA (gwinn) airspace to avoid build ups and maintain VFR. During the deviation for weather an intermittent bms battery fault light was observed. On previous occasions this was related to higher-than-normal temps in the engine cowling and a similar occurrence was immediately suspect given the recent high oil temp corrections preformed at kbow. There is no alternator failure annunciator in the aircraft. The aircraft overflew F45 at 1200’ AGL planning to land 9R but attempts to lower the gear were unsuccessful. The best option was a gear up landing on the then wet grass of runway 9L. A normal pattern, approach and flare to landing was flown with the aircraft touching down on the floats as in a standard water landing. The aircraft slide approximately 150 yards to a stop in the center of 9L. Pilot exited the aircraft to check for any damage. None observed. Cell phone call to privacy data omitted flight support followed to apprise them of situation and to request ground support. Pilot recommended the runway be closed via NOTAM and that appropriate markers at approach ends of runway be placed. A second call was made to maintenance personnel in kbow to schedule aircraft recovery. It was past sunset, raining heavily and the best option was a next day recovery which was acknowledged by privacy data omittedemployees.
Pilot and passenger waited at privacy data omitted for privacy data omitted to transport to local hotel but subsequently received a phone call after arriving at hotel from Palm Beach airport operations requesting, they return to F45 and arrange for the immediate removal of the aircraft from the runway. Ams based on the field at F45 (had previously provided maintenance for the aircraft) arrived with a truck and tow straps and we dragged the aircraft to a safe area of grass adjacent to the runway at approximately 2030 hrs. Recovery crew arrived 1145 on December 15, 2024 and in the presence of privacy data omitted, FAA, jacked up the aircraft, installed a new battery to deploy the landing gear, troubleshot the failure to a non-functioning alternator and the aircraft was then taxied to a standard tie-down location.
A replacement alternator is enroute and the failed alternator will be overhauled with a teardown report provided to privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS ENROUTE VFR FROM KBOW TO F45 DEPARTING AT 1522 EST FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE CYCLE THAT INCLUDED REMOVAL OF STANDARD LANDING GEAR (TAIL WHEEL CONFIGURATION) AND RE-INSTALLATION OF SEA PLANE FLOATS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, BASED AT KBOW. ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE SQUAWK INCLUDED RESOLVING HIGHER THAN NORMAL OIL TEMPS BY REPLACING VERNATHERM, OIL COOLER FILTER ADAPTER AND PRIMARY OIL COOLER AFTER A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF ALL COMPONENTS. HIGH OIL TEMP ISSUE WAS RESOLVED AND LOGGED BY TEST FLIGHTS PERFORMED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE THE NORMAL CHECKLIST WAS PREFORMED WHICH INCLUDES AN ELECTRICAL CHECK OF BATTERY VOLTAGE (BOTH PRIMARY AND EFIS BACKUP) AND ALTERNATOR OUTPUT, ALL NOMINAL.
APPROXIMATELY 8 MINUTES (12 NAUTICAL MILES) NW FROM F45 THE PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT DARK, INCLUDING RADIOS 1 & 2, GPS NAVIGATOR, AUDIO PANEL, INTERCOM, AUTO PILOT, SXM WEATHER, ADS-B, TRANSPONDER. THE BACK-UP EFIS BATTERY ENGAGED AND MAINTAINED THE AHARS ON THE GARMIN G3X PFD AND SECONDARY G3X. A GARMIN 696 PORTABLE WITH INTERNAL BATTERY AND SEPARATE SXM WEATHER ANTENNA CONTINUED TO FUNCTION.
AT THE TIME OF THE POWER INTERRUPTION THE WEATHER WAS VMC WITH LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DIVERTING TO THE NE AROUND THE NORTH SIDE OF 06FA (GWINN) AIRSPACE TO AVOID BUILD UPS AND MAINTAIN VFR. DURING THE DEVIATION FOR WEATHER AN INTERMITTENT BMS BATTERY FAULT LIGHT WAS OBSERVED. ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS THIS WAS RELATED TO HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL TEMPS IN THE ENGINE COWLING AND A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE WAS IMMEDIATELY SUSPECT GIVEN THE RECENT HIGH OIL TEMP CORRECTIONS PREFORMED AT KBOW. THERE IS NO ALTERNATOR FAILURE ANNUNCIATOR IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT OVERFLEW F45 AT 1200’ AGL PLANNING TO LAND 9R BUT ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE GEAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE BEST OPTION WAS A GEAR UP LANDING ON THE THEN WET GRASS OF RUNWAY 9L. A NORMAL PATTERN, APPROACH AND FLARE TO LANDING WAS FLOWN WITH THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHING DOWN ON THE FLOATS AS IN A STANDARD WATER LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT SLIDE APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS TO A STOP IN THE CENTER OF 9L. PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO CHECK FOR ANY DAMAGE. NONE OBSERVED. CELL PHONE CALL TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLIGHT SUPPORT FOLLOWED TO APPRISE THEM OF SITUATION AND TO REQUEST GROUND SUPPORT. PILOT RECOMMENDED THE RUNWAY BE CLOSED VIA NOTAM AND THAT APPROPRIATE MARKERS AT APPROACH ENDS OF RUNWAY BE PLACED. A SECOND CALL WAS MADE TO MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL IN KBOW TO SCHEDULE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY. IT WAS PAST SUNSET, RAINING HEAVILY AND THE BEST OPTION WAS A NEXT DAY RECOVERY WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^EMPLOYEES.
PILOT AND PASSENGER WAITED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO TRANSPORT TO LOCAL HOTEL BUT SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED A PHONE CALL AFTER ARRIVING AT HOTEL FROM PALM BEACH AIRPORT OPERATIONS REQUESTING, THEY RETURN TO F45 AND ARRANGE FOR THE IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY. AMS BASED ON THE FIELD AT F45 (HAD PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED MAINTENANCE FOR THE AIRCRAFT) ARRIVED WITH A TRUCK AND TOW STRAPS AND WE DRAGGED THE AIRCRAFT TO A SAFE AREA OF GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 2030 HRS. RECOVERY CREW ARRIVED 1145 ON DECEMBER 15, 2024 AND IN THE PRESENCE OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, FAA, JACKED UP THE AIRCRAFT, INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY TO DEPLOY THE LANDING GEAR, TROUBLESHOT THE FAILURE TO A NON-FUNCTIONING ALTERNATOR AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TAXIED TO A STANDARD TIE-DOWN LOCATION.
A REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR IS ENROUTE AND THE FAILED ALTERNATOR WILL BE OVERHAULED WITH A TEARDOWN REPORT PROVIDED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^