When The Juice Drys Up

On the first occasion, I was on an IFR flight plan departing into an 800-foot ceiling on my way to a destination reporting clear skies. At some point, I would clear the fog layer covering the inversion and find those clear skies, I just didnt know exactly where the layer would burn off. On departure I passed through the 500-foot-thick layer and was soon in VMC on top. Tops were at roughly 6500 feet and I was cruising along at 8500 with nothing but blue skies above me and a flat layer of white tops 2000 feet below.

Mike Hart

Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots must understand their aircraft's electrical system, including how to shed non-essential loads and locate circuit breakers, to effectively manage remaining battery power during an in-flight failure.
Decision-making during electrical emergencies requires carefully weighing factors like current and forecast weather, services available at potential diversion airports, and remaining battery life against the risks of continuing to a planned destination.
Even minor, inexpensive electrical component failures can lead to critical in-flight situations, highlighting the need for robust system maintenance and comprehensive pilot preparedness for a complete loss of charging capability.

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Sometimes the real world is unforgiving, especially when it comes to airborne system failures. None of us want to have these kinds of firsthand, real-world learning experiences, but it is helpful to read about them and try to learn something. When it comes to airborne electrical issues, I believe I may be the “chosen one” when it comes to experiencing issues and failures from which we all can learn.

Call it luck or fate, but I’ve have had three airborne electrical component failures in two different airplanes, each of which left me with nothing but battery power. One of these three events involved an overcharging situation. No sheet metal was bent, thankfully, and all such events ended as I wanted. Here is what I have learned.