Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Highland, Indiana 46319
Thursday, January 13, 1994 16:15 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE FLYING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS THE AIRPLANE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CEASED OPERATING. ESTIMATING ONE HOUR OF FUEL REMAINING, THE PILOT DESCENDED THROUGH THE CLOUDS IN SEARCH OF AN AIRPORT. ONCE BELOW THE CLOUDS, THE PILOT STATED, HE ENCOUNTERED RAPIDLY DECREASING VISIBILITY DUE TO SNOW AND DARKENING SKY. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES OF FLYING, THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A FARM FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND NOSE GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED A DISCONNECTED ALTERNATOR BELT. THE ALTERNATOR'S MOUNTING LUG HAD SEPARATED FROM THE UNIT ALLOWING THE ALTERNATOR TO MOVE AWAY FROM ITS ENGINE MOUNTING. THE TYPE OF FRACTURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO SURFACE POLISHING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An electrical system failure due to a fractured alternator mounting lug. Factors related to the accident were the rough terrain, and decreasing visibility due to snow and darkness.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/13/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1615 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | HIGHLAND |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46319 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1600 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GYY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 591 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 812 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 13 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1921 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8117Z |
| NTSB Number | CHI94LA062 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-236 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-236 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8011026 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 13 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 95 |
| Airframe Hours | 1971 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BRUSKE ENTERPRISES, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7447 DUVAN DRIVE/P.O. BOX 669 |
| Aircraft Owner City | TINLEY PARK |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60477 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MDT |
| Departure City | HARRISBURG |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1155 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | C18 |
| Destination City | FRANKFORT |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |