by Kim Santerre
Considering that every flight depends on it, the aircraft battery doesnt get any respect. It lives in the tailcone or engine room, out of sight and out of mind getting little care or attention. In our experience, most batteries-particularly the flooded or vented electrolyte wet cells-don’t die-they are killed by neglect or improper maintenance. This damage can start as early as improperly activating a dry-charged wet-cell battery.