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:
- A pilot ferrying a Maule M5 from the US to Italy faced severe weather, necessitating a challenging reroute over Greenland, Iceland, and the UK, in an unstable aircraft without an autopilot.
- During a nighttime flight over the English Channel in heavy IMC, the aircraft suffered a total electrical failure, plunging the pilot into darkness without instruments, lights, or primary communication.
- Employing a flashlight and a portable radio, the pilot declared an emergency and was guided by Charleroi ATC via a surveillance approach to a safe landing, moments before the tower would have closed.
- The electrical failure was traced to loose tachometer drive bolts causing an oil leak that destroyed the alternator, with the pilot reflecting that their survival required a critical combination of skill, preparation, and luck.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
