The pilot reported that he was on a return flight back to his home airport. He turned on the Cessna 182’s cabin lights, and they seemed a bit dim. He decided to stop and troubleshoot the lighting issue and refuel so he would have full fuel tanks for the night flight.
He parked the airplane in front of the fuel pump at the airport in Robstown, Texas, and refueled both wing tanks before pushing the airplane back.
He then planned on checking to see if the battery would charge before continuing the flight. The propeller turned slow and the engine did not start, so he elected to hand prop the airplane. He set the throttle, mixture, and parking brake, and after several attempts the engine started.
The engine appeared to be at idle, and then the rpms increased. The airplane moved forward and hit the fuel station’s credit card machine before he could get into the airplane and stop it.
An examination of the airplane noted substantial damage to the airframe’s belly/bottom firewall area. Additionally, there was minor damage to the airplane’s cowling, propeller, and nosewheel pant. There was also damage to the fuel pump’s credit card machine and a set of steps.
An inspection of the airplane by the FAA Inspector found that the throttle’s friction lock was working. However, a check of the airplane’s parking brake found that even after application of the brake, the airplane would move and the brakes did not function as intended. The specific problem with the brakes were not identified, according to the investigator.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to set the friction lock on the throttle before hand propping the engine, which allowed the airplane to move forward and hit a credit card machine. Contributing to the accident was the malfunction of the parking brake for reasons that could not be determined.
This December 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
With all due respect to the pilot-we all make mistakes. But…I was taught-any time you are going to hand prop an engine, make sure somebody is in the cockpit to hold the brakes. Or put chocks in place.
I read these events so I can learn how not to do things, make better decisions. There is a lot of good information in the replies. I will add a voltage meter to monitor voltage along with charging.
If you have a cigarette lighter plug there are plug ins that display the voltage.
Mac,
The little plug-in voltmeters are very low cost, some for $3. I’ve given a number to pilot friends.
Make sure that you see 14.0 to 14.5 volts with the engine running and charging.
If not, it may be just the regulator needing adjusting.
The battery voltage with the master on and engine off, will be lower than the ‘open- circuit’ voltage. You may see 12.4 to 12.6 volts vs 12.9 to 13.0 if you check at the battery terminals with the master off.
You can also check the heath of the charging system.
During your runup, with the engine at idle, turn on all your loads – lights, pitot heat.
You will probably see a discharge and the voltage at 13 volts, or less.
Slowly increase the rpm until the alternator picks up the load, with the voltage at 14 volts and the ammeter showing a charge.
Note this rpm and if in the future, the rpms needed are higher, the system needs looking at.
Thanks. Like I said a lot of good information here and knowledge.
I have finished night flight with failed electrical. It makes my handheld radio w/external antenna jack a bargain.
Hand propping an engine that has a starter is hazardous since the prop is clocked differently. Also depending on the specific magnetos installed it may be necessary to turn one mag off.
If there is a shower of sparks magneto you really need people. One in the cockpit on the starter so the aid is engaged.
Hand propping is very dangerous when the starter is a l so engaged.
On a nosewheel plane consider tying the talk down in ground contact.
Best idea. Get an A&P AND FIX IT BEFORE A NIGHT FLIGHT.
I tell all my pilot friends that you don’t know the status of the electrical system if you don’t have a voltmeter.
An ammeter can show a charge or discharge [ as in this case…if the pilot bothered to look at it.]
I’ve seen a lot of electrical issues, including a miss-adjusted voltage regulators, set to 12.9 volts, vs the proper 14.2 volts. Anything less than 13.0 volts will not charge the battery.
So, the initial cause of this crash was the ‘stupid pilot’ not knowing that ‘dim’ lights probably means a discharged battery that won’t crank the engine..!
Even if he had gotten it running ok and flew in the dark, he would probably not have had any operating electronics, and a radio, so he wouldn’t be able to turn on the runway lights when he got to his home airport.
No mention of a faulty alternator…if he did get the engine started, he would not have been flying in the dark.
If he had been flying for some time but his battery was discharged upon landing, wouldn’t that be a good sign of alternator failure?
That or a mechanically dead/ dying battery with internal shorted cells.
Yes, and looking at the ammeter , he would have seen a very high charge current if the battery had a shorted cell, along with about 10-11 volts on the voltmeter.
If the alternator/ voltage regulator had failed, the ammeter would show a discharge.
BTW, if this was a Piper, the loadmeter would be useless in determining what was happening !
So, failure to understand the electrical system led to this pilot make poor decisions.
The alternator is not self activating. It requires the battery to supply the field current in order to operate.
The inability of the battery to start the engine, with the dim lights, indicated that the battery was discharging, and the charging system not operating.
It could have been the overvoltage relay causing the alternator to go off line.
In that case starting the engine again should have had the alternator back operating.
BEECH since 1970 has used self-exciting alternator. Internal magnets and feedback allow the alternator to function with the “bad” battery off.
OK, thanks. I didn’t know about that alternator .
Too bad they’re not used today.