Simviation Forums

'lo!

OK - this is a bit of an odd one, since by rights I should know the answer cold but it might be aircraft-specific.

I was listening to the radio while working; they were interviewing some dude who was apparently a bush pilot who retired back in the '90's and was relating a few stories, likely to promote a book - I wasn't paying too much attention. I heard something and perked up, but by then it was a bit too late to get full info.

Anyhoo; the dude was relating a story where he was flying in northern Alaska, lost his deicing system and damn near died putting the ship down on an old unused mining strip. Nothing unusual there - ice is a bloody killer. What perked my interest was why he said he lost the deicing - he lost it, he says, because the aircraft experienced a total electrical failure.

That strikes me as quite odd.

I'm not 100% positive, but I'm sure he said the type of plane was a Shrike Commander - a light twin transport popular up north and hence my confusion. The Commander, like any twin, will have dual redundant electrical systems - while losing one system is possible (although bloody unlikely), the system on the other side will carry the load easily.

So I suppose my question is this: What conditions would have to be met - while flying at medium altitude under heavy icing conditions - for a twin to lose all electrical power? At the moment, I'm assuming a major maintenance issue; not entirely uncommon amongst private bush operators.

By extension; the other question is how did he get the gear down? The Commander has a hydraulic LG system, but it's still operated electrically. Can a man arm-wrestle an ice-coated brick while pumping like mad to drop gear? I'd like to hear your opinions.



Cheers!

This is like a puzzle with some missing pieces.

That airplane should have two; batteries, generators, and electric busses... anything of consequence that requires electricity

Seems to me, in my 'way back when' multiengine rating days, I flew an Apache with only one generator - on the left.

Yah - agreed, Brent. I wish I had better info; most of it was only half-heard in any case. The question was nagging a bit though. Were I to guess, I'd say either that plane was being held together with duct-tape and hanger wire, or he was exaggerating the story somewhat.
Which - I hate to say - seems fairly likely. Everything's so bloody sensational nowadays; particularly biographies. I'm gonna see if I can track down his name and book so I can read it for myself.

After living and flying in Alaska for thirty odd years, I've heard some really tall stories about inflight emergencies and how they were handled.