Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Myers, Florida 33913
Tuesady, March 10, 1998 9:50 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The No. 1 generator failed while in cruise flight. When the flighcrew attempted to reset the No. 1 generator, the No. 2 generator also failed. Attempts to reset either of the generators were unsuccessful and after about 1 minute the main battery failed. The flightcrew switched to the emergency battery and made a precautionary landing. Postlanding examination showed the No. 1 generator had failed due to failure of the field excitation wire lug which was caused by improper installation of the wire. The aircraft was on the second flight since the No. 1 generator was changed. The No. 2 generator operated normally in postlanding tests. The main battery was found to be discharged. The battery was returned to service after charging. After the incident the aircraft continued to discharge the main battery and the engine start switch was found defective causing the main battery to discharge.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the No. 1 generator field excitation return wire terminal lug due to improper installation of the field excitation return wire by maintenance personnel; the subsequent failure of the No. 2 generator due to overvoltage, caused by the momentary closure of the No. 1 generator contactor, as a result of the flight crew's attempt to reset the No. 1 generator, while an overvoltage condition existed at its POR, due to the shorted failure of the No. 1 GCU diode CR17; and the rapid failure of the aircraft's main battery, accelerated by its existing depleted condition, following an extended period of inadequate charging, due to a damaged electrical system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 3/10/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 950 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | FORT MYERS |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33913 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 950 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RSW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 31 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 300 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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 | 47 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5022 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 11 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 10:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N275BC |
| NTSB Number | MIA98IA100 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerospatiale |
| Aircraft Model | ATR-42-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | ATR-42-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 275 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 37258 |
| 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 | 49 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 10 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 13913 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMR LEASING CORPORATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4333 AMON CARTER BLVD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | FORT WORTH |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76155 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FLAGSHIP AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 996370 |
| Operator City | MIAMI |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 33299 |
| Operator Code | NVEA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TPA |
| Departure City | TAMPA |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MIA |
| Destination City | MIAMI |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |