| Crash location | 38.009722°N, 77.970000°W |
| Nearest city | Louisa, VA
38.025139°N, 78.004165°W 2.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N9746L |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 31 Jan 2001 |
| Aircraft type | Beech B-19 |
| Additional details: | None |
On January 31, 2001, about 1930 Eastern Standard Time, a Beech B-19, N9746L, was substantially damaged while landing at the Louisa County-Freeman Field Airport (LKU), Louisa, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Warrenton, Virginia, destined for the Hanover County Municipal Airport (OFP), Richmond, Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot reported he was en route to OFP when the airplane experienced a complete electrical failure. The pilot turned back toward Warrenton, and elected to land at LKU, on Runway 27. He stated the airplane "got slow," on final approach and dropped approximately 12 to 15 feet onto the runway. The nose gear separated and the airplane slid to a stop. The pilot added that the runway lights were illuminated during the landing.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, examination of the airplane's alternator revealed an internal failure which precluded the alternator from producing sufficient voltage to power the airplane.
The pilot reported 235 hours of total fight experience, which included 27 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. Additionally, the pilot reported he had flown the accident airplane at night, two days prior to the accident and had not experienced any electrical problems.
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a hard landing. Factor's in this accident were the loss of electrical power due to an alternator failure and the night light conditions.