Safety Meeting Insights: Alternator Reset Procedures
In September 2023, an aircraft faced an alternator failure leading to landing gear challenges. The crew successfully managed the emergency situation using the prescribed procedures. Learn about alternator resets, recognizing failures, and more in this detailed safety discussion.
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Presentation Transcript
JNFC SAFETY MEETING SEPTEMBER 2023
ALTERNATOR RESET N44443 was on a day flight when the alternator was lost. The crew did not attempt a reset procedure of the alternator. The crew did use the remaining battery power to return to the base but did not have enough power to extend the landing gear. The crew used the "Emergency Landing Gear Extension" procedure to extend the landing gear.
ALTERNATOR RESET What Went Well? N44443 did contact tower with their problem and landed safely at KNIP. The crew successfully utilized the "Emergency Landing Gear Extension" Procedure to put the gear down and landed safely.
ALTERNATOR RESET ALTERNATOR RESET Review
ALTERNATOR RESET PURPOSE TO PROVIDE: "FULL ELECTRICAL POWER OUTPUT EVEN AT LOW ENGINE RPM" Piper has a 14 volt 60 amp alternator
ALTERNATOR RESET PROTECTED BY A VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND OVERVOLTAGE RELAY
ALTERNATOR RESET THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A VOLTAGE REGULATOR ON A CESSNA.
ALTERNATOR RESET HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE WHEN THE ALTERNATOR FAILS? AMBER CAUTION ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT AMMETRE OR LOAD METER READING. JPI ANALYZER ANNUNCIATION
ALTERNATOR RESET ANNUCIATOR LIGHTS ARE JUST ABOVE THE ALTIMETER TO THE RIGHT. THE ARROW HAS ANNUNCIATORS, OTHER ARICRAFT MAY NOT
ALTERNATOR RESET YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AMBER ANNUCIATOR OF THE ALT IS ON THE RIGHT
ALTERNATOR RESET AMMETER ON THE LEFT WOULD SHOW A DISCHARGE OF LESS THAN ZERO. THE LOADMETER ON THE RIGHT WOULD SHOW "0" VS. 30 THAT YOU SEE NOW.
ALTERNATOR RESET JPI ANALYZER WILL FLASH THE BATTERY VOLTAGE AND YOU WILL SEE IT IS LOWER THAN NORMAL SYSTEM VOLTAGE.
ALTERNATOR RESET NOW WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THE ALTERNATOR FAILURE
ALTERNATOR RESET POH BREAK OUT THE CHECKLIST OR POH!
ALTERNATOR RESET CHECKLIST
ALTERNATOR RESET THE TEXT SAYS TO VERIFY ALTERNATOR FAILURE: TURN ON A FEW THINGS LIKE THE PITOT HEAT AND THE LANDING LIGHT AND SEE IF THE LOAD METER INCREASES IT'S VALUE. IF IT IS AN AMMETER IT WILL BE INDICATING BELOW ZERO WHICH MEANS POWER IS BEING SUPPLIED BY THE BATTERY. (NOTE: LED LIGHTS ARE LOW AMP DEVICES AND MAY NOT ADD MUCH OF A LOAD)
ALTERNATOR RESET 2. ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CHECK THE HIGHER THE NUMBER ON THE CIRCUIT BREAKER THE MORE ELECTRICAL DRAW IT HAS.
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 1: REDUCE THE ELECTRICAL LOAD. REMEMBER HIGHER NUMBERS ON CIRCUIT BREAKERS ARE A MEAN HIGH ELECTRICAL DRAW. THESE MAY BE YOUR FIRST CHOICE.
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 2: CHECK THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER. NOTE: IT SAYS "CHECK" NOT "SET" ....THESE ARE 2 DIFFERENT THINGS.
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 3: ALTERNATOR SWITCH OFF FOR 1 SECOND THEN ON. NOTE: THERE IS NOTHING MAGICAL ABOUT 1 SECOND. IF IT IS OFF LONGER IT WILL NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM. ALL WE ARE DOING IS GIVING THE OVERVOTAGE SYSTEM A CHANCE TO RESET AND IT IS PRETTY MUCH INSTANTANEOUSLY DONE WHEN YOU SHUT THE "ALTERNATOR" SWITCH OFF. DID YOU NOTICE IT DIDN'T SAY TO SHUT THE BATTERY SWITCH OFF??
ALTERNATOR RESET NOTICE THIS SWITCH IS SPLIT! YOU ONLY NEED TO SHUT OFF THE "ALT" SIDE. NOT THE "BATT" SIDE
ALTERNATOR RESET THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A MASTER SWITCH THAT IS NOT SPLIT. YOU DO HAVE TO SHUT THE SWITCH OFF AND YOU WILL LOSE BATTERY POWER ON THIS.
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 3: CONTINUED. (IF THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS OUT, YOU DO HAVE TO RESET THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER AT THIS TIME AND THEN TURN ON THE ALTERNATOR SWITHCH) ONCE THE ALTERNATOR IS BACK ON-LINE ONLY ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN. IT RESETS (MOST DESIRED) OR IS WILL NOT (LEAST DESIRED)
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 3: CONTINUED. ONCE THE ALTERNATOR IS BACK ON LINE ONLY ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN. IT RESETS (MOST DESIRED) OR IS WILL NOT (LEAST DESIRED)
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 3: CONTINUED. IF IT RESETS, YOU MOST LIKELY HAD A TEMPORARY OVERVOLATAGE DETECTED BY THE VOTAGE REGULATOR WHICH THEN LOCKED OUT THE SYSTEM UNTIL THE RESET PROCEDURE IS PERFORMED. YOU CAN CONTINUE YOUR FLIGHT HOWEVER I WOULD WRITE IT UP IN FLIGHT CIRCLE WHEN YOU GOT BACK SO THAT WE CAN TRACK THIS IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN IN SHORT ORDER.
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 3: CONTINUED. IF WHEN YOU TURN THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH BACK ON AND THE FAILURE STILL EXISTS. PROCEED!
ALTERNATOR RESET STEP 3: CONTINUED. TURN THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH BACK OFF KEEP THE ELECTRICAL LOAD REDUCED LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICLE ALL ELECTICAL POWER IS BEING SUPPLIED BY THE BATTERY. NOTE: DEPENDING ON THE CONDITION OF THE BATTERY YOU MAY HAVE AS MUCH AS 30 MINUTES OF POWER IF YOU USED ONLY WHAT YOU NEED.
ALTERNATOR RESET IDEAS DISCUSSED RADIO AHEAD AND PLAN ON GETTING A CLEARANCE WELL IN ADVANCE IF GOING TO A TOWER OPERATED AIRPORT. IF IT IS MORE PRACTICLE, LAND AT A NON-TOWER OPERATED AIRPORT. CONSIDER DISCONTINUING ALL ELECTIRCAL ITEMS TO CONSERVE POWER.
ALTERNATOR RESET THE OPENING SCENARIO THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH THE ARROW TURNED OU SITUATION WITH A TEMPORARY OVERVOLTAGE. HAD THE CREW EXECUTED THE RESET PROCEDURE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO REDUCE THEIR ELECTRIC LOAD NOR EXECUTE THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE.
ALTERNATOR RESET TAKE AWAYS! REVIEW YOUR EMERGENCY AND ABNORMAL PROCEDURES PERIODICALLY KEEP IN MIND THE MANY AIRCRAFT HAVE DIFFERENCES I.E, NOT ALL AIRCRAFT HAVE A SPLIT MASTER SWITCH. UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEMS WILL HELP MAKE SENSE OF THE PROCEDURE
ALTERNATOR RESET IF YOU ARE REVIEWING THIS POWERPOINT TO BECOME SAFTEY CURRENT, EMAIL RICK AT RICKFE@PROTONMAIL.COM OR THROUGH FLIGHT CIRCLE TO HAVE YOUR CURRENCY UPDATED FLY SAFE!
