It was late August and I was in Goose Bay in Labrador, Canada. For two days, my time there had been spent either at the local weather station or in my hotel room, parked in front of the Weather Channel.
I Learned About Flying From That: Total Blackout
Key Takeaways:
- While ferrying a Maule M5 across Europe, the pilot encountered a total electrical failure at night in severe IMC, rendering all instruments and radios inoperative and plunging the cockpit into darkness.
- Despite the aircraft's instability and the lack of an autopilot, the pilot used a flashlight and a portable radio to maintain control and declare an emergency, requiring a blind landing without nav radios.
- With no exterior or interior lights, the pilot relied entirely on precise radar vectors from Charleroi ATC to execute a surveillance approach (PAR), successfully landing the aircraft in the pitch-black rain.
- Investigation revealed that loose tachometer drive bolts caused an oil leak that destroyed the alternator, leading to battery failure, and the pilot attributed survival to a critical combination of skill, preparation, and luck.
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