That time a Cessna 172 killed my entire avionics bus at 3000 feet

I was doing a test flight out of Fort Worth last Tuesday after swapping a Garmin G5. Everything looked good on the ground but about 10 minutes into the climb, all my screens went black and the comms died. I pulled the breaker for the new install and everything came back online. Turned out I pinched a wire behind the panel during the install and it grounded out on the airframe. Had to land at a little strip in Cleburne and fix it on the ramp with a flashlight. Has anyone else had a simple wire mistake turn into a full emergency like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_clark29d ago

Pull every breaker before working behind the panel. Saves your avionics and your nerves.

the_charlie29d ago

I used to roll my eyes at guys who spent an hour doing a continuity check on every wire, but after reading about your G5 pinch I totally get it now. One little nick and you're landing at some random strip in the dark, that's a hard way to learn a lesson.

derekjenkins17d ago

Man it's funny how that translates to everything else though. I caught myself last week double checking my kid's bike helmet strap three times before a ride because the first time I just yanked it tight. Same deal with cooking - I used to rush through prepping veggies and now I take my time because one slip with a knife and dinner turns into an ER visit instead. Why do we always have to learn the hard way that the boring careful stuff is actually what saves you?