Night Landing Power Failure

[brcase]

New experience a few nights ago. Did a cross country flight to Council,ID. On downwind I instructed the pilot I was teaching to activate the pilot controlled runway lights so they would not turn off while we were landing. Seconds after we touched down the runway lights turned off. We clicked the lights and they came on again for about 3 seconds and then turned off. We rolled to a stop and taxied to the end of the runway. Clicking the radio would not turn on the lights. After a brief stop we noticed there were no other lights on the airport and the only lights we could see were vehicle lights. After accessing the risks for a few minutes, we were able to depart using only the landing light and return to home. Departed we confirmed that the whole Valley was black. If the lights had went out 15 seconds sooner we would have had to go around and could not have landed. The Power was out in every direction for about 30 miles, very dark valley with and we practiced flight by reference to instruments.

One of the questions the examiner I use likes to ask is what is the fuel reserve required when flying at night to Elko, Nevada. Then he gives a scenerio like this and asks where you are going to go? The point is a 45 minute fuel reserve is not going to get you to anyplace useful.


Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[midwestpa24]

If I can locate the runway using my landing light, I'd still land. Granted, entirely different scenario over rural hill country than the flatlands of the midwest.

 

[NordicDave]

Scary situation anyway it's considered, especially the example of insufficient fuel. Instrument rating helps in total blackness to find another airport with gas on-board.

 

[RyanB]

Might want to rephrase the thread title, just sayin’.

 

[Clip4]

New experience a few nights ago. Did a cross country flight to Council,ID. On downwind I instructed the pilot I was teaching to activate the pilot controlled runway lights so they would not turn off while we were landing. Seconds after we touched down the runway lights turned off. We clicked the lights and they came on again for about 3 seconds and then turned off. We rolled to a stop and taxied to the end of the runway. Clicking the radio would not turn on the lights. After a brief stop we noticed there were no other lights on the airport and the only lights we could see were vehicle lights. After accessing the risks for a few minutes, we were able to depart using only the landing light and return to home. Departed we confirmed that the whole Valley was black. If the lights had went out 15 seconds sooner we would have had to go around and could not have landed. The Power was out in every direction for about 30 miles, very dark valley with and we practiced flight by reference to instruments.

One of the questions the examiner I use likes to ask is what is the fuel reserve required when flying at night to Elko, Nevada. Then he gives a scenerio like this and asks where you are going to go? The point is a 45 minute fuel reserve is not going to get you to anyplace useful.


Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

At this part in the story I am like oh no their doing power off 180s at night.

 

[Deelee]

Might want to rephrase the thread title

no doubt! Still a bit nervy what you went through, but I was thinking engine out during a night landing for some reason. Glad it wasn’t that!!