Aircraft Alternator Trouble

Alternator (p/n ASG120003RX) failed to charge during cross-country flight. Alternator cooling fan came apart in flight. Front engine charging system was intermittent, then constant alternator inoperative light was observed. The right engine locked up in flight, going into feather, and could not be restarted.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Alternators experienced diverse failures, ranging from mechanical issues like case separation, cracked cooling fans, loose bolts, and sheared drive shafts, to electrical malfunctions such as high resistance or failure to charge.
These failures often led to significant operational problems, including loss of engine power, engine damage requiring unscheduled landings, or even catastrophic engine lock-up.
Incidents were reported across various aircraft types (Cessna, Cirrus, Piper), with component failures occurring at different operational hours.

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Cessna 182T
Separated Case Halves

Alternator (p/n ASG120003RX) failed to charge during cross-country flight. Inspection revealed separation of alternator case halves. Through bolts held component intact but resulted in loose or sloppy tolerance on drive shaft main bearing and failure to produce current.

Part total time: 1373.0 hours

Cessna 210M
Cracked Cooling Fan

Alternator cooling fan came apart in flight. Portion of cooling fan punched a hole in induction air box downstream of air filter and the alternator belt came loose. Loss of power from engine damage resulted in an unscheduled landing. The cooling fan had cracked at a spot weld.