Cruising along at 5500' MSL down the central CA valley, (98 Archer III) on my way to Harris Ranch to check out their beef. (Supposed to be good.) A little more than halfway there and I get an "AltInOp" red light, and my ammeter drops to 1. (Digital) I know it's not life-threatening, but other than that blown tire on takeoff roll two days before my checkride, this was my first in-flight emergency. After a moment of "oh s@#t" I selected the closest airport that actually had any services. (The central CA valley has a plethora of crop-duster-type strips with no services at all. Besides, I needed one that my directionally challenged wife could actually find.) The nearest one qualifying field was KMCE, about 40nm away into a 14kt headwind. I turned to it, announced my diversion to ATC and turned off everything except comm1. (GTS430) Picked up the weather from the destination and said goodbye to ATC. Just after switching to the local CTAF freq, the radio died. I pulled out my portable (which I had already dialed into the local CTAF 10 minutes earlier) and announced my way in. (Luckily, there was no one in the pattern.) Got down nice and safe.
The FBO was closed, but one of their mechanics was in the BBQ joint next door. He took a look at it, started the engine, and verified that my alternator wasn't putting out. He said I could fly it home to my FBO and could beat the sun if I left right away. (Home base was about 40 mins away.) Being so new that I was still flying on my temp ticket, I opted to have my wife pick me up instead. (About a 80 drive for her.) Luckily, she was not mad, and was happy that I chose not to try and beat the sunset.
Wondering what you all thought about both the legality, as well as the common sense of flying it (without a functioning alternator) back to have my mechanic work on it instead of leaving it in the hands of an unknown A/P?
The FBO was closed, but one of their mechanics was in the BBQ joint next door. He took a look at it, started the engine, and verified that my alternator wasn't putting out. He said I could fly it home to my FBO and could beat the sun if I left right away. (Home base was about 40 mins away.) Being so new that I was still flying on my temp ticket, I opted to have my wife pick me up instead. (About a 80 drive for her.) Luckily, she was not mad, and was happy that I chose not to try and beat the sunset.
Wondering what you all thought about both the legality, as well as the common sense of flying it (without a functioning alternator) back to have my mechanic work on it instead of leaving it in the hands of an unknown A/P?
