Service difficulty report · Battery · Snias AS350B3

Difficulty date
April 18, 2011
Submitted
April 21, 2011
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N508AM
Make and model
Snias AS350B3
Aircraft serial
4682
Aircraft time
683 hours
Engine
Tmeca ARRIEL2B1
Engine time
683 hours, 1,931 cycles
Part
Battery
Part number
RG350
Part serial
40393748
Condition
Discharged
Location
Master
Part time
167 hours, 1,247 cycles
Stage of operation
AP
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
H
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

DURING A NIGHT FLIGHT, FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS BEGAN TO FLICKER AND DIM. NOTED THAT THE GEN SWITCH WAS IN AND THERE WERE NO CAUTION LIGHTS. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER THE ENTIRE PANEL WENT OUT, INCLUDING THE VEMD, BOTH GARMIN GPS/RADIS. THE GMX 200 REMAINED ON AND THE SCREEN WENT TO VERY BRIGHT. ABOUT 20 SECONDS FROM LANDING THE GEN LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER LANDING SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED USING THE EMG FUEL CUTOFF AS NO ELECTRICAL POWER WAS AVAILABLE TO DO OTHERWISE. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING STARTER/GENERATOR AND DC POWER SYS FOUND THE STARTER/GENERATOR TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. THE BATTERY VOLTAGE VERY LOW AND WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. AFTER REPLACING BATTERY, ALL SYS WORKED PROPERLY EXCEPT FOR THE GMX200 IT WOULD NOT POWER UP. MEL'D GMX200 WAITING FOR NEW ONE. INSPECTED EVERYTHING EVEN REMOTELY CONNECTED TO THE POWER SYSTEM AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. NO BREAKERS WERE TRIPPED AND NOTHING SMELLED BURNED.