ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219902
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 20 July 2017 |
| Time: | 16:45 |
| Type: |  Zenair CH 601 XL Zodiac |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N577M |
| MSN: | 6-4210 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2005 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-235-C2C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Grady, AR -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Center, TX (F17) |
| Paragould, AR (PGR) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The sport pilot was conducting a cross-country flight when the experimental amateur-built airplane experienced a loss of engine power; the pilot then conducted a forced landing to a field, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a broken wire to the airplane’s alternator; this specific wire supplied electrical power to the alternator field coil. Because the wire was broken, the alternator was rendered inoperative. The pilot would not have been able to detect the broken alternator wire without removing the engine cowl, which is not normally part of a pilot’s preflight examination.
The airplane’s engine had been modified to use an ignition system that operated from the airplane’s electrical system, which included a battery and the alternator to maintain the battery’s charge. Once the alternator field wire had broken, the ignition system relied completely on the airplane battery’s reserve power as the source of ignition power. Once the battery power was depleted, the ignition system could not operate, and the engine lost power due to the lack of ignition.
Probable Cause: The loss of engine power due to a lack of ignition resulting from a broken alternator wire.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Dec-2018 20:28 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation