Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 84; Flight Crew Total 2292; Flight Crew Type 435
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Procedure; Company Policy; Human Factors
Generator failed enroute. An unknown battery charge was remaining. I contacted Tower for landing and requested an overhead approach. Tower was busy and told me to expect the straight-in approach. I repeated I needed the overhead and Tower told me I had to do a straight-in. I told the Tower I would have to [request priority handling] to get the overhead.The overhead in this type aircraft is standard operating procedure for safety reasons. Rarely; I will accept a standard pattern; but only if everything is working properly. In this case I already had a failure and did not want to compound the situation. Given an electrical failure the following systems are impacted. Fuel boost pump; emergency fuel system (in the event of a carburetor failure); all coolant and oil temperature readings; coolant and oil door actuators; all warning lights in the cockpit; all avionics including radios. Given I already had one failure and not knowing when the battery may fail; a straight-in approach is a high-power; low-energy approach; meaning any hiccup in another system would most likely result in an off-field landing with potential property damage and possible injury to persons on the ground. The overhead provides an additional measure of safety by ensuring a higher energy state over the field. The overhead also is the fastest way to get on the ground; thus eliminating traffic delays in most any environment. I should have been able to work into the traffic pattern and do the overhead; but the controller's lack of knowledge of the safety aspect of the overhead pattern required me to [request priority handling] to deviate from his instruction to ensure as much of a safety margin as possible. The controller overreacted to the situation; which should have been a non-event.
P51 pilot reported a generator failure enroute that required him to request priority handling and make a precautionary landing.