FLYING contributer Les Abend says he's always enthusiastic about an airplane sojourn but knows that using our Piper Arrow as a station wagon with wings can be an organizational packing challenge for my wife. [Courtesy: Les Abend]
Key Takeaways:
A pilot experienced two separate alternator failures during a single cross-country flight, necessitating emergency declarations and diversions to alternate airports.
In both incidents, the pilot identified the alternator failure through cockpit avionics (Aspen PFD, JPI 830) and the ammeter, promptly declared an emergency, and utilized ForeFlight for navigation and airport information.
The first failure was attributed to a broken alternator terminal connector, while the second, occurring later in the trip, was definitively diagnosed as faulty alternator bearings, leading to a full replacement.
The experience highlighted the critical importance of situational awareness, prompt decision-making, reliable backup power (a new battery), and thorough pre-flight planning, especially regarding weather and diversion airport options.
So, there I was… (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) A very small annunciation in the upper left-hand corner of the Aspen PFD caught my eye. The percentage of internal battery power remaining was being displayed and the value was slowly decreasing.
Whaaat? Why? What’s wrong with the Aspen?
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Les Abend is a retired, 34-year veteran of American Airlines, attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the lower flight levels—without the assistance of a copilot.
