Page 30 - Volume 16 Number 4

with one alternator per engine, and a loadmeter and (Alternator Out) annunciator light for each alternator. When the airplane was in the vicinity of Catalina (Island, off the coast of California), the two “ALT” annunciator lights on the instrument panel illuminated, and the loadmeters indicated that the alternators were not providing electrical power to the airplane. The pilot powered off some electrical equipment and ran his hand across the circuit breaker panel to ensure all breakers were in; he did not notice any breakers that were out. He then recycled both alternator switches; the ALT lights extinguished, and all other indications returned to normal.
“The pilot did not know the underlying reason for the problem, and was concerned, since nightfall was approaching. He then headed for his home airport, near the coast. On final approach, he deployed flaps
and landing gear and did not notice anything unusual until he was on short final, when he observed that none of the three green landing gear position annunciation lights were illuminated. He communicated this information to the air traffic control tower controller, conducted a go-around, circled back, and
landed (gear up)....the pilot... held a private pilot certificate with multiple ratings. He reported a total flight experience of about 1,000 hours, including about 50 hours multi- engine time, all of which was in the accident airplane make and model.”
Well Handled—Up To A Point
All indications from this report are that the pilot had some level of good checklist instruction. He noted the alternator failure indications and followed the procedure. He correctly chose to land before it got dark, in this case heading home because the situation appeared at least partly resolved, the home airport was nearby, the weather was good, and he’d get there while it was daylight. It’s unclear whether the pilot considered a dual alternator outage, even if the lights reset, might be indicative of a larger problem, or that it might affect gear and flap extension in his model of airplane.
28 TWIN & TURBINE
APRIL 2012
You can learn a lot just by studying four sections

Normal Procedures, Emergency/Abnormal Procedures and (often overlooked) Systems Description.