lndwarrior
Well Known Member
So I started thinking about emergency procedures and realized something.
I have all the typical emergency procedures documented and carried in the airplane such as Engine Fire in Flight, Engine Failure, etc.. These are all the worst case scenarios - something has already gone horribly wrong.
However they don't deal with "something is starting to go wrong, so what should I do right now?".
These standard emergency procedures don't really address all of the issues and, more importantly, they don't really address incipient issues where you have an indication that something is going wrong and you need to make a decision.
This thought process lead me to the conclusion that I was unprepared for the more likely scenario of, "something is starting to go wrong. What do I do right this minute?"
I decided that the best way to address this in my linear mind was to go instrument by instrument, indicator by indicator and list:
1. System
2. Risk Level to safety of flight (High/Low)
3. Symptom
4. Response
So I'm creating a spreadsheet based on the above. It is a different way of looking at in-flight problems from what I have seen in the past.
I will look at each instrument and indicator in my analogue panel and asses the possible symptoms, what the risk level is for each item and what is the appropriate response.
I think this will be a good exercise to help ensure that I really understand my aircraft.
I decided to do this going from right to left on my panel and assessing every indicator and instrument. The very first one was the EarthX battery fault light.
And right off the bat I realized I did not know the correct response if the light went off in flight.
This light has two indications, one flashing and one solid. The EarthX manual explains what they mean but neither explanation made it clear whether the battery was at risk for immediate failure.
Presumably the solid light would indicate that, but I have emailed EarthX for a clarification. In this case I want to know if it's a "possibility of imminent failure". I haven't heard back from them yet.
Which finally leads me to the question I wanted to post here.
I have an electrically dependent engine due to electric fuel pumps (no engine driven pump). Mags are standard Bendix.
I have an electrical system based on the Aero Electric Z-11 diagram with an e-bus and all the related components on the diagram.
I have a B&C alternator with a VR-166 regulator.
My question is, if the battery fails (and assuming there is no catastrophic damage to the electrical system (ie: the battery electronics safely shut the battery down), will my alternator continue to power my electrical system?
I have heard various discussions about the alternator field wire needing battery power for the alternator to function. I don't know if this is true in my case or not. Is there some other reason why the alternator would not be able to power the system with an off-line battery?
I'm trying to get to the decision point of:
If my EarhtX battery is in danger of imminent failure (fault light is on solid, for example, don't know this for a fact yet). And understanding my plane is electrically dependent,
THEN
A. Do I need to set up for an emergency landing right now, without delay?
B. Am I able to fly another few minutes to a nearby airport and land?
TIA
Gary
I have all the typical emergency procedures documented and carried in the airplane such as Engine Fire in Flight, Engine Failure, etc.. These are all the worst case scenarios - something has already gone horribly wrong.
However they don't deal with "something is starting to go wrong, so what should I do right now?".
These standard emergency procedures don't really address all of the issues and, more importantly, they don't really address incipient issues where you have an indication that something is going wrong and you need to make a decision.
This thought process lead me to the conclusion that I was unprepared for the more likely scenario of, "something is starting to go wrong. What do I do right this minute?"
I decided that the best way to address this in my linear mind was to go instrument by instrument, indicator by indicator and list:
1. System
2. Risk Level to safety of flight (High/Low)
3. Symptom
4. Response
So I'm creating a spreadsheet based on the above. It is a different way of looking at in-flight problems from what I have seen in the past.
I will look at each instrument and indicator in my analogue panel and asses the possible symptoms, what the risk level is for each item and what is the appropriate response.
I think this will be a good exercise to help ensure that I really understand my aircraft.
I decided to do this going from right to left on my panel and assessing every indicator and instrument. The very first one was the EarthX battery fault light.
And right off the bat I realized I did not know the correct response if the light went off in flight.
This light has two indications, one flashing and one solid. The EarthX manual explains what they mean but neither explanation made it clear whether the battery was at risk for immediate failure.
Presumably the solid light would indicate that, but I have emailed EarthX for a clarification. In this case I want to know if it's a "possibility of imminent failure". I haven't heard back from them yet.
Which finally leads me to the question I wanted to post here.
I have an electrically dependent engine due to electric fuel pumps (no engine driven pump). Mags are standard Bendix.
I have an electrical system based on the Aero Electric Z-11 diagram with an e-bus and all the related components on the diagram.
I have a B&C alternator with a VR-166 regulator.
My question is, if the battery fails (and assuming there is no catastrophic damage to the electrical system (ie: the battery electronics safely shut the battery down), will my alternator continue to power my electrical system?
I have heard various discussions about the alternator field wire needing battery power for the alternator to function. I don't know if this is true in my case or not. Is there some other reason why the alternator would not be able to power the system with an off-line battery?
I'm trying to get to the decision point of:
If my EarhtX battery is in danger of imminent failure (fault light is on solid, for example, don't know this for a fact yet). And understanding my plane is electrically dependent,
THEN
A. Do I need to set up for an emergency landing right now, without delay?
B. Am I able to fly another few minutes to a nearby airport and land?
TIA
Gary
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