- Date
- December 16, 1982, 20:20 local (Dec 17, 1982, 02:20 UTC)
- Place
- Dewitt, NE
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6855FPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821216065029A
- Case key
- 70474
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
As the flt approached destination the alternator began to malfunction. Plt continued to destination which was IMC, and as the gear was lowered during an instrument approach the nose gear indicated unsafe. The approach was discontinued and the plt climbed back to vmc-on-top. As the plt was attempting to get a safe indication on the nose gear, complete electrical failure occurred. Having no communication or navigational capability, the plt retraced his route back to known VMC about 60 mi sw of omaha. An off-airport precautionary landing was made due to low fuel, and the landing gear collapsed. The alternator failed due to a short from field to ground. The brushes and pulley end bearing were worn, and the alternator was oil soaked.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6855F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7780039
- Airframe hours
- 2,357
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Heartland Enterprises, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Heartland Enterprises, Inc.
- Departed
- Dodge City, KS
- Destination
- Omaha, NE
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,238 total · 240 in this make and model · 1,234 as pilot in command · 165 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.