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Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2005 11:47:03 -0400
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From: "Gary Casey" <glcasey@adelphia.net>
Subject: Re:  Dead Battery
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<<I am finding the discussion on Lorn Olsen's flight with a dead battery to
be a bit too judgmental with regard to the operation being unsafe, as under
some circumstances it is not unreasonable to fly an airplane with inoperable
equipment.
Peter Van Arsdale>>

I'll weigh in with Peter on this one.  With a dead battery I worry about the
safety of hand-starting the engine, although with the proper training and
skill set it is apparently not a problem.  Then the aircraft should be good
to go, as it has all the "minimum equipment," including an alternator and a
battery (an uncharged one, though).  On a VFR day I wouldn't hesitate to go.
My only concern would be that going into IMC  would be done without a full
backup for the alternator - for the first 30 minutes to an hour the battery
would have an unknown capacity.  And since I don't know what weather
conditions existed for the first portion of the flight in question I'm
reluctant to be quite so judgmental as some.

My only other question is why would the CB open during any charging
condition - the alternator should not be capable of supplying enough current
to open the breaker under any condition.

Gary Casey