Why would a faulty alternator cause a B-52 aircraft to crash?

Answer 1

The engines would not be affected but the engine controls might be. A faulty alternator could case many problems, up to and including a melt-down of the main electrical bus, (although this has a back-up system too.). The B-52 has redundant alternators on four of the eight engines however so it would need to be a pretty radical failure to result in loss of the aircraft.

Flying in IMC or IFR conditions with no instruments, no autopilot and no engine controls could certainly result in a crash.

I certainly wouldn't want to attempt it!

Answer 2

The only reason I can think of is extremely dirty weather, as in hard IFR at night, and the flight instruments and lights failed. The electrical failure might have caused an engine fire, I suppose, though that shouldn't have been too big a deal, and in decent weather, the loss of electrical power would just be irritating, not really dangerous. On top of that, a single alternator failing shouldn't require more than flipping a switch. That plane has eight engines and should have an alternator on each one.

Answer 3

An alternator is utilized in piston engine vehicles and has no place on any gas turbine powered aircraft.

Answer 4

When the voltage dropped far enought the coils wouldn't fir the sparkplug samething happens with auto's...

infact I have seen old glazed hard belts strand more than one vehicle because belt slipped rather than turning the alternator to keep igntiion fired up

Walt

Answer 5

No alternater, then no spark to the coil, then no spark at the plug, then no combustion, then the engine dies, then the plane loses altitude, with no power, then you CRASH!

Answer 6

do u like b-52s??

Answer 7

power loss.. gravity.

it;s not so much as the fall that will kill you but the change in direction at th bottom

Just a guess

Answer 8

it would lose all electrical power and it needs electricty to steer and fly