My First In Flight "Oh Crap"

[SJFedor]

So, I'm about 3 flights away from finishing my commercial SEL. Scheduled the plane for this evening w/ the IP to go up and work on my lazy eights and steep spirals. Got out and off, everything was peachy.

So, we're about 15-20nm from the field, and I notice there's this wierd sound coming from the overhead speaker. Like a squeal. No big at first, but it got worse, and I started to notice the cockpit lights were dimming...

So I continue to fly while the IP starts fiddling with the comm panel, thinking something is loose/going tango uniform. Something was, but it wasn't the comm panel.

Now, we're in the PA-28R. Those of you that don't know, the PA28R's ammeter is not like in our birds, with a charge and discharge side. It just has a charge side:

Now, with this aircraft, typically it's not far above 0 when it's working normally. When it's at 0, it doesnt even look like it's there. So, we check all the breakers w/ no faults, but reset the alternator field on the master. Once we hit the ALT side, the squeal goes away. Turn it back on, squeal comes back, but there's NO movement in the ammeter needle. Deal alternator.


So, by this time we've already turned around, dropped our gear w/ the power we have left (though the PA28R's gear dropps nicely on it's own anyway w/o power) and headed back. By the time we got there, our radios were too weak to bring up the higher intensity runway lights, our panel lights were gone, the ICS system was barely working, and our wing strobes were barely even firing. So, down we went, landed, and that was it.

At least we didn't continue flying. The sun was awfully low when we made it back...

[JC004]

I so had NOTHING to do with that.  I was here the whole time.

[mikeylikey]

I so had NOTHING to do with that.  I was here the whole time.

Fedor......he lies! 

Anyway.......you are an Awesome pilot.  Too bad you are stuck in TN!   

[SJFedor]

I so had NOTHING to do with that.  I was here the whole time.

Fedor......he lies! 

Anyway.......you are an Awesome pilot.  Too bad you are stuck in TN!   

Give it a few months. Hoping to relocate back to PA sometime soon. Now that the *ex* girlfriend is out of the way, I can head back.

[mikeylikey]

Give it a few months. Hoping to relocate back to PA sometime soon. Now that the *ex* girlfriend is out of the way, I can head back.

Colgan and I say "your welcome".   

Always happy to get a person sucked back into the "Great state of Independence". 

Since you have been away though......many things have changed.  We no longer use US currency, all Canadian, and we are only allowed to drink Rolling Rock beer.  The Governor has made it illegal to vote for anyone but Hillary Clinton, and Philadelphia is slowly starting to drift into New Jersey.  (Not sure how that happened). 

COLGAN......get the Steak and Cheese Hoagies warmed up, we are getting a deserter returned to us............... 

[_]

Dead alternator.

I had the same thing happen to me on my long cross country for my private pilot licence.  Luckily it happened not far from my destination.  Not a fun thing to have happen especially within in the Washington DC ADIZ where if you don't talk to atc they send helo's and fighters to come say hi with their loaded weapons.

As for the state beer of PA, Rolling Rock left Pa to move to Newark, NJ.  You guys need to switch to Yuengling.  It's made in Pa and isn't made with municipal water from Newark.  (If you've ever been through Newark you know why that's a bad thing, if not, watch the opening of the Sopranos and look at the shots of the gas refineries and chemical plants)

[SJFedor]

Give it a few months. Hoping to relocate back to PA sometime soon. Now that the *ex* girlfriend is out of the way, I can head back.

Colgan and I say "your welcome".   

Always happy to get a person sucked back into the "Great state of Independence". 

Since you have been away though......many things have changed.  We no longer use US currency, all Canadian, and we are only allowed to drink Rolling Rock beer.  The Governor has made it illegal to vote for anyone but Hillary Clinton, and Philadelphia is slowly starting to drift into New Jersey.  (Not sure how that happened). 

COLGAN......get the Steak and Cheese Hoagies warmed up, we are getting a deserter returned to us............... 

I was back there a few weeks ago for my birthday, didn't seem to change too much. Cept I don't remember the beverage distribution establishments down by Drexel and UPenn to be as much fun as they were when I was there.

Gas is also about 10-15 cents more expensive then it is down here.

And our planes aren't grounded 

[SJFedor]

Dead alternator.

I had the same thing happen to me on my long cross country for my private pilot licence.  Luckily it happened not far from my destination.  Not a fun thing to have happen especially within in the Washington DC ADIZ where if you don't talk to atc they send helo's and fighters to come say hi with their loaded weapons.

Oye...that's a bad way to start things when you're a new pilot. But your instructor should be shunned for making you do your XC through the DC ADIZ (unless you were departing/arriving there)

[_]

Dead alternator.

I had the same thing happen to me on my long cross country for my private pilot licence.  Luckily it happened not far from my destination.  Not a fun thing to have happen especially within in the Washington DC ADIZ where if you don't talk to atc they send helo's and fighters to come say hi with their loaded weapons.

Oye...that's a bad way to start things when you're a new pilot. But your instructor should be shunned for making you do your XC through the DC ADIZ (unless you were departing/arriving there)

I was returning to the airport I had left from which was in the ADIZ.  Luckily it happened right after I switched to UNICOM.  This was a couple years ago when they were sending armed F-16's and blackhawks after people and taking away licenses of anyone did anything that was the least bit different from what they expected you to do whether you screwed up or not.  Being a newbie and having that bouncing around in my head made it more of a big deal than it should have been.

[SJFedor]

Dead alternator.

I had the same thing happen to me on my long cross country for my private pilot licence.  Luckily it happened not far from my destination.  Not a fun thing to have happen especially within in the Washington DC ADIZ where if you don't talk to atc they send helo's and fighters to come say hi with their loaded weapons.

Oye...that's a bad way to start things when you're a new pilot. But your instructor should be shunned for making you do your XC through the DC ADIZ (unless you were departing/arriving there)

I was returning to the airport I had left from which was in the ADIZ.  Luckily it happened right after I switched to UNICOM.  This was a couple years ago when they were sending armed F-16's and blackhawks after people and taking away licenses of anyone did anything that was the least bit different from what they expected you to do whether you screwed up or not.  Being a newbie and having that bouncing around in my head made it more of a big deal than it should have been.

Oh I won't lie, I'd be freaking out. That ADIZ scares me.

[CadetProgramGuy]

And our planes aren't grounded 

Ouch.....

[Duke Dillio]

Score:

Fedor 10, PAWG -227

Did you need a new flight suit after that one Fedor?  You weren't "under the hood" were you?

I'll be happy to stay away from PA WG for a little while.  They wear orange hats and scare me....

Although, cheese steak hoagies and alcoholic beverages sound very appealing.  Did I say alcoholic?  I meant, um, carbonated, yeah, that's it.  Carbonated.... oh and bubbly...

[flynd94]

Don't want to sound like a "Debbie Downer" but, what is the big deal.  Your electrical system went tango uniform.  No great feat of airmanship was required.

Let's see here, you state you were VMC at sunset.  Turn off all electrical equipment not needed, heck turn off the master (conserve what juice you have).  Get close to the airport you are landing at, turn on master, make a radio call stating intentions, drop the gear, confirm "3 green", put he plane away and, finally head out for a beer.  I stopped counting after the first 10 electrical system failures I dealt with. 

Maybe I should start posting every time we have a system malfunction on the E-Jet.

JMHO take at it is but, what you had is a non-event

[CASH172]

If this is how safe GA is supposed to be, an electrical fire after dozens of flight hours, then I'm scared of how I'm getting my training. 

[Pylon]

If this is how safe GA is supposed to be, an electrical fire after dozens of flight hours, then I'm scared of how I'm getting my training. 

Fire?  Who said anything about an electrical fire?   

[Frenchie]

I'm not that familiar with the PA28.  It doesn't have a low voltage light?

My plane has an engine monitor.  I lost an alternator once and the JPI light alerted me immediately.  It also told me how much voltage I had, so I could turn off various electrical systems and see what effect that had on the voltage.  I had to fly through some light weather for about 30 minutes until I got to the nearest airport.

Many GPS systems whether they are panel or portable will monitor voltage (if hooked to ship's power).  Some even have an alerting feature if the voltage gets too low.  That's a very nice feature to have.

[CASH172]

If this is how safe GA is supposed to be, an electrical fire after dozens of flight hours, then I'm scared of how I'm getting my training. 

Fire?  Who said anything about an electrical fire?   

Opps, I meant lack of electricity.  I think I wrote that after seeing an electrical fire that day in a parking lot.

[flyerthom]

Give it a few months. Hoping to relocate back to PA sometime soon. Now that the *ex* girlfriend is out of the way, I can head back.

Colgan and I say "your welcome".   

Always happy to get a person sucked back into the "Great state of Independence". 

Since you have been away though......many things have changed.  We no longer use US currency, all Canadian, and we are only allowed to drink Rolling Rock beer.  The Governor has made it illegal to vote for anyone but Hillary Clinton, and Philadelphia is slowly starting to drift into New Jersey.  (Not sure how that happened). 

COLGAN......get the Steak and Cheese Hoagies warmed up, we are getting a deserter returned to us............... 

I am so not coming back until Yuengling is returned to its rightful throne! VIVA LA LAGER!
Word has it the Poconos are New York's sixth Borough...

[SJFedor]

Don't want to sound like a "Debbie Downer" but, what is the big deal.  Your electrical system went tango uniform.  No great feat of airmanship was required.

It was my first little bit of excitement in my flying career. Thought it'd be interesting to share.

I'm not that familiar with the PA28.  It doesn't have a low voltage light?

My plane has an engine monitor.  I lost an alternator once and the JPI light alerted me immediately.  It also told me how much voltage I had, so I could turn off various electrical systems and see what effect that had on the voltage.  I had to fly through some light weather for about 30 minutes until I got to the nearest airport.

Many GPS systems whether they are panel or portable will monitor voltage (if hooked to ship's power).  Some even have an alerting feature if the voltage gets too low.  That's a very nice feature to have.

No low voltage light. Unless you consider the panel lights slowly dimming by themselves a "low voltage light".

[FW]

I'm not that familiar with the PA28.  It doesn't have a low voltage light?

They don't; at least not on pre '86 models.  The alternator on an Arrow I was flying stopped working a few years back.  The first sign of trouble was the radio display starting to "flicker".   I did what was necessary and returned home.  Luckily it was a beautiful VFR day.  

I was flying a brand new Cessna home from the factory awhile back (in 97).  Had a voltage spike and the alternator switch went off.  Turned it back on and smoke started coming from the panel.    It's amazing what a Cessna 172R can do at 9000 feet when you got to get to an airport real fast  .