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prestonkavanagh
Joined: 27 Nov 2018
Posts: 17
Location: Tarpon Springs
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 Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2026 7:43 am Post subject: I guess it _really_ matters... |
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Saw this, thought it worth sharing....
Loose Connection Leads To Crash
By General Aviation News Staff · January 13, 2026 · 13 Comments
According to the pilot, the flight in the experimental Raptor Junior 540 departed Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) in California, en route to Camarillo Airport (KCMA), in Camarillo, California, to conduct touch-and-go landings.
About five miles southeast of KCMA, he noticed a warning indication on the airplane’s avionics display alerting him to a loss of electrical power. He stated that within seconds, the entire display, excluding the Dynon Primary Flight Display, which had a backup battery, “went blank,” followed by a total loss of engine power.
He performed emergency procedures to restore electrical and engine power but was unsuccessful.
He performed a forced landing to an agricultural field about 4.5 miles southeast of KCMA, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot was seriously injured in the crash, while a passenger sustained minor injuries.
The airplane was equipped with an electronic fuel injection and ignition system, manufactured by EFII Systems. Electrical system redundancy was accomplished by use of a main and auxiliary system, with two independent batteries and an alternator. The system shared a common ground line that connected the negative terminals for both batteries and was routed through a ground bus located behind the nose cone bulkhead to the engine compartment and engine case.
Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed that the ground feed-through stud that connected the battery ground terminals to the ground bus was loosely connected on the nose cone bulkhead. The feed-through nut was 3.5 turns loose, which corresponded to approximately 3.5 threads of the feed-through stud.
Additionally, neither a spring lock washer nor a secondary locking nut were present on the feed-through stud assembly, as was found on all other primary electrical connections throughout the airplane.
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to the loss of power to the electronic fuel injection and ignition system, which was the result of a loose connection between a common ground feed-through stud and the ground bus.
NTSB Identification: 193732
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PBK3
PA-12, BD-4, RV6a, gliders, Rutan canards |
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1rv4
Joined: 11 Sep 2006
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:00 am Post subject: Re: I guess it _really_ matters... |
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Just wondering why the alternator wouldn't still carry the load ? Wouldn't it be frame grounded?
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