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Ames Research Center�
Space Administration
National Aeronautics and
Permit No. G-27
NASA
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December 22nd was the winter solstice, the
shortest day of the year.
al U.S., flights that only a few months earlier were
conducted completely in daylight, may now begin in the
darkness before the dawn or conclude after sunset.
Number 199 January 1996
Night for Day
Lights Out !
In much of the continentThe
following ASRS reports illustrate two of the potential
hazards associated with these additional hours of
winter darkness.
First, a commuter flight crew learned that looks can be
deceiving during a pre-dawn pre-flight.
■ Three out of four fuel caps were left off the aircraft, and
missed on pre-flight and pre-takeoff checks. The aircraft
was flown with the caps off, and returned to its point of
origin for landing without incident. The caps had been
removed for painting. The PIC assumed they were
replaced since all pre-flight paperwork released the
aircraft for flight. The PIC did not physically touch the
caps, but rather looked at them in pre-dawn lighting. The
caps looked recessed. A “look pre-flight” as opposed to a
“touch or close inspection pre-flight” in low ambient light
was a factor affecting performance. ...So much for the
dreaded flashlight pre-flight.
The reporter does not specify whether a flashlight was
actually used in this incident. A good flashlight would
have been the minimum equipment needed for a
thorough pre-flight of the aircraft. Additionally, a ladder
might have allowed the PIC to get close enough to touch
the fuel caps and confirm that they were in place and
properly seated.
An early evening flight almost became a “graveyard”
flight for this non-instrument-rated pilot, who met clouds
and darkness at the same time.
■ I left XYZ later than I originally intended. In
retrospect, I should not have left at a time that would
require night VFR flight, given the cloud conditions.
[When] I came upon a large cloud front... I tried to climb
over it, but soon elected to descend below it. I did not
notice entering IMC at first, and, in fact, remember being
curious why the anti-collision lights were illuminating the
cockpit and causing a strobe effect on the prop. Shortly
thereafter, I noticed that the turn coordinator was pegged
in a left turn, the attitude indicator showed a 45-60° left
bank, the directional gyro was spinning rapidly...and the
airspeed indicator dropped to 60 knots, then to zero. I
recognized the signs of [an impending] “graveyard spiral”
and was able to return the plane to straight-and-level
flight. The real cause [of this incident] was...lack of
appreciation of the danger of night VFR.
A corporate pilot almost found himself left in the dark
when his aircraft experienced a total electrical failure.
■ I activated the pilot-controlled runway lighting and
proceeded with my run-up and pre-flight checks. [After
takeoff], I turned off my aircraft landing light, after
which I lost all electricals. I turned back to the field... I
did not feel I could spend much time in the pattern
because the pilot-controlled lighting might go out and I
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