>Had a starter solonoid engage in flight about 20-30 min after takeoff
while on
>an ILS approach in MVFR/IFR. First indication was the radios went to heck.
Contactor sticking is not a spontaneous activity . . . in the situation
cited, I'll bet a steak dinner to a donut that the contactor stuck
at the time the engine was started and continued until noticed by the
pilot when the alternator (40-60 amps) and battery (25 a.h.) lost the
tug-of-war with a powered up but free wheeling starter motor (60-100A?)
and things went black . . . . A starter engaged light is SOOOoooooo simple
to add, why not have one? Alternatively, adequate instrumentation
of the electrical system would have revealed (1) bus voltage low
because total loads exceeded the output capability of the alternator
and/or (2) alternator output -or- battery ammeter pegged against the
charg'n real hard stop for the duration of the flight.
Bob . . .
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