Squawks, Squeaks, &
Things That Go Bump in
the Flight
Tailwinds Flying Club
Spring Safety Session – 2010
FAA Special Airworthiness
Information Bulletin
SAIB CE-10-11:
• Potential hazard when resetting an opened
circuit breaker
Essential and Non-Essential
Equipment
A 10 cent fuse will protect itself by destroying
the $2,000 radio to which it is attached.
— Robert Livingston, 'Flying The Aeronca.‘
Essential and Non-Essential
Equipment
Archer II – Circuit Breakers
Essential and Non-Essential Equipment
Archer II – Circuit Breakers
Essential and Non-Essential
Equipment
Arrow – Circuit Breakers
Essential and Non-Essential Equipment
Arrow – Circuit Breakers
Essential and Non-Essential Equipment
Six – Circuit Breakers
Essential and Non-Essential Equipment
Six – Circuit Breakers
Electrical Malfunctions
What do you do when the juice stops flowing?
Immediate action items:
• Reset alternator by turning circuit breaker(s) off, then on again.
• If problem persists, turn alternator off.
• Electrical fire: turn off battery and alternator; extinguish fire;
vent cabin, then close vents; land ASAP
• If electrical power is needed and system voltage is restored,
attempt to identify faulty component(s), then land as soon as
practical.
Electrical Malfunctions
Alternator out
• Minus indication on ammeter gauge.
• “Alt” annunciator.
Runaway alternator
• Too much voltage – extra current will fry components in use.
Popped circuit breakers
• Try pushing the breaker back in – pops again – leave it popped.
(FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-10-11)
Electrical Malfunctions
Electrical Fire
• POH for tailored, specific advice for handling an electrical fire.
• Turn off the battery and alternator switches, turn off all radios,
and other electrical components.
• Use fire extinguisher (you know where it is in the plane, right?)
• Vent the cabin after using the fire extinguisher and determining
the fire is out.
• Land as soon as practicable.
Electrical Malfunctions
VFR
• Complete electrical failure in VFR weather conditions not as
problematic
• Land at the nearest uncontrolled airport (you’ve still got your
handheld GPS aboard, right?)
• Land at a controlled airport (what are those light gun signals
again?)
• Night landing a bit more problematic
• No lights, no radios to control airport lighting, other
airplanes won’t see you. (hand held transceiver?)
Electrical Malfunctions
IFR
• Complete electrical failure in instrument meteorological
conditions, not good.
• One last call to ATC before powering down
• Announce your having electrical problems
• Declare an emergency
• Ask for vectors to the nearest suitable airport
• Continue flight using single radio on battery power
• Leave transponder on – controllers can issue heading / altitude
information
• Night in IMC (You do have flashlights aboard, don’t you?)
Electrical Malfunctions
Battery Considerations
• Conserve battery power as much as possible
• Ability to send critical messages
• Listen to controllers
• Leave transponder on for ATC monitoring
• May need Pitot heat when freezing OAT
• Re-tractable-gear
• Biggest electrical loads generated by; voice transmissions,
heating elements, transponders, and DME
• Transient loads from landing gear
• Battery will last for 45 minutes after alternator quits – don’t
count on it!
Required Equipment
FAR 91.205 Powered civil aircraft with standard category
U.S. airworthiness certificates: Instrument and equipment
requirements.
VFR flight during the day: (TOMATO FLAME)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tachometer (each engine)
Oil pressure gauge
Magnetic direction indicator
Airspeed indicator
Temperature gauge
Oil temperature gauge
•
•
•
•
•
Fuel gauge (quantity each tank)
Landing gear position indicator
Altimeter
Manifold pressure
ELT
Required Equipment
VFR flight - Night
Instruments and equipment specified for VFR flight during the day
and:
• Approved position lights?
• An approved anti-collision light
system?
• An alternate source of
electrical energy?
• Landing light?
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Required Equipment
IFR Flight
Instruments and equipment specified for VFR flight during the day
and for night flight plus:
• Two-way radio & navigational equipment appropriate to the
ground facilities being used.
• Gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator.
• Slip-skid indicator
• Sensitive altimeter adjustable for barometric pressure
• Clock
• Alternator
• Gyroscopic pitch and bank indicator.
• Gyroscopic direction indicator
Last but not least!
AOPA – Air Safety Foundation’s “Flight Risk Evaluator”
online @ www.asf.org
Thanks!
Questions?