Complete Loss of Electrical - night

CT4ME

CT4ME

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Oct 24, 2011
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Phoenix, AZ
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CT4ME
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KDVT
Wow, this is good. From the Purple Board, but well worth re-posting here.
It shows how a situation like this is WAY DIFFERENT than practicing during the day. Must see for all students, and anyone who flies at night. Well done - 'flew the plane. The short final is where many would have lost it. (language alert)
 
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I had loss of interior/panel lighting in a 152 as a low hour PP. I tied a MAG LITE to my seat belt and directed some peripheral light to the panel (main beam is too bright). Presto. Alternatively, adding a red filter to the light allows you to comfortably have the panel lighted full time by the flashlight. It's not a big deal. But it is a human factors disaster, our old airplanes, from that perspective.
 
It wasn't really a big deal until the pilot controlled lighting timed out on short final. What terrible luck. I guess that's another reason for a back up handheld.
 
I practiced pattern work at night several times with no panel lights, flashlight, flaps, or landing light. Really no biggie as long as it's VFR out. The PCL could be a problem.
 
hindsight2020 said:
I had loss of interior/panel lighting in a 152 as a low hour PP. I tied a MAG LITE to my seat belt and directed some peripheral light to the panel (main beam is too bright). Presto. Alternatively, adding a red filter to the light allows you to comfortably have the panel lighted full time by the flashlight. It's not a big deal. But it is a human factors disaster, our old airplanes, from that perspective.
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Flashlight in the copilot's seat back pocket, white beam bouncing off the headliner. Works great. Try it on the ramp or in a dark hangar at night.
 
It happened to me during the day, after descending out of the clouds on a VOR-A approach, with my -II. Had the pleasure of cranking the gear down the last little bit.

It made a believer out of me, and now I keep my handheld in the plane all the time. That day it was in the hangar since we didn't get 50 nm away. NiMH batteries in it, Duracells in the spare battery pack.
 
This is why I have a red LED headlight in the glove box, stuff happens.
 
BTDT. Luckily I got the gear down and the PCL up before the zots ran out, and the PCL stayed on thru the landing. Cockpit went dark on final.

Yes, I can put the gear down manually using the lawnmower pull starter, but I'd much rather have them go down normally and get indication of down and locked.

Oh, and flashlights good, I keep three in the flightbag, two red, one white. The small red LED one is on a lanyard and goes around my neck on any night flight. This little guy with red lens:

http://www.pelicanproducts.us/p.Pelican.L1.LED.1930.HTML
 
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I've lost electrical at night in a 170. I also ferried my Navion home when I first got it to find that the panel lighting was bizarre. No lights on the flight instruments (but one on the clock that I could turn around to face the airspeed) just the internal illumination from the VOR heads. Amusingly you can fly pretty nice level by watching the air speed. I'd pop on my flashlight from time to time to check the altimeter. Kept the needle on the VOR centered for lateral guidance.
 
Somebody should sue Cessna for not having a placard to warn about this defect.
 
Friend of mine lost his while transitioning from my home drome to his class D airport. Actually had a passenger fly the aircraft while he dug out his handheld from his flight bag in the back. I dressed him down pretty good actually, a handheld doesn't do much good in your flight bag in the way back (mine stays charged behind the front seats) and he could have just returned NORDO to my at the time uncontrolled airport.

Loosing the lights just before you land can certainly raise the pucker factor.
 
steingar said:
Friend of mine lost his [OBJECT] while transitioning from my home drome to his class D airport. Actually had a [NOUN] [ADVERB] [VERB] the aircraft while he dug out his [NOUN] from his [NOUN] in the [LOCATION]. I [PAST TENSE VERB] him down pretty good actually, a [OBJECT] doesn't do much good in your flight bag in the way back (mine stays charged behind the [NOUN]) and he could have just returned NORDO to my at the time uncontrolled airport.

Losing the [NOUN] just before you [VERB] can certainly raise the [ADJECTIVE] factor.
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Reading your post, I thought it could be fun to have a book of aviation Mad Libs.
 
I've wondered what I would do around here if I had an electrical failure at night without a handheld, assuming I wasn't already set up to land with the PCL on like this guy. The airports I fly out of are non-towered, and at night there's a good chance that no one will ever come around to turn on the PCL. Most of the airports around have towers that close at 10. I guess I could try to find BED or OWD and wait for someone to turn on the PCL. Not sure I'd be able to find them at night (I don't have an iPad or handheld GPS).

That leaves PVD (tower closes at 12) and BOS. I suppose I could bust the Class C or Class B and just land where I know there will be runway lights. I wouldn't have any problem finding these airports since there both in good sized cities. The scary part is that if ATC doesn't get a primary return on me, no one will even know I'm coming since I won't have a working transponder or lights. Guess I'd have to be extra vigilant for the airliners flying in. Maybe it's time to get a handheld radio and GPS.
 
The overhead red "panel light" in my old piper left a lot to be desired. I think that's where I picked up my OCD habit of spraying flashlights in my plane.

They should probably have a placard for the known defect of a bulb blowing out in flight.
 
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