Narrative:

Was intending to land at a small, private airstrip 25 mi south of springfield. As I was slowing down to enter the pattern, had a complete electrical failure. Shut down the avionics master and tried recycling the alternator battery masters. Still had no electrical power. Pumped the gear down but couldn't get a gear down light because there was no power. Unable to put the electric flaps down and no gear down light, I decided to go to a larger airport that would have crash equipment in case a gear collapsed. Capitol airport was the closest so I went there. I squawked 7700 and kept turning the power on and off hoping it might come up so the tower and arsa could see me coming. The power did not come on. When I was about 1-2 miles from the airport the power came on. I immediately tuned the tower and communicated my problem. They indicated for me to land on any runway. The gren gear down light also came on. Had an uneventful landing. I do not like breaking regulations such as arsa and airport control zones, but I considered this an emergency. At one point I thought I smelled smoke, but nothing happened, so I assume that was just nervousness. One of the important considerations afterward is what would/could I do differently if the same situation occurred again. I doubt there is or was anything I could have done to prevent the electrical failure. I will know more in this regard when the repair shop finds the problem. If I had a failure again just like this, I think I would do the same. I proceeded in as safe a manner as I knew. I haven't been able to think of anything else I could have done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LIGHT ACFT EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL FAILURE, NO RADIOS, NO GEAR INDICATION, MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative: WAS INTENDING TO LAND AT A SMALL, PRIVATE AIRSTRIP 25 MI S OF SPRINGFIELD. AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO ENTER THE PATTERN, HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. SHUT DOWN THE AVIONICS MASTER AND TRIED RECYCLING THE ALTERNATOR BATTERY MASTERS. STILL HAD NO ELECTRICAL POWER. PUMPED THE GEAR DOWN BUT COULDN'T GET A GEAR DOWN LIGHT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POWER. UNABLE TO PUT THE ELECTRIC FLAPS DOWN AND NO GEAR DOWN LIGHT, I DECIDED TO GO TO A LARGER ARPT THAT WOULD HAVE CRASH EQUIPMENT IN CASE A GEAR COLLAPSED. CAPITOL ARPT WAS THE CLOSEST SO I WENT THERE. I SQUAWKED 7700 AND KEPT TURNING THE POWER ON AND OFF HOPING IT MIGHT COME UP SO THE TWR AND ARSA COULD SEE ME COMING. THE POWER DID NOT COME ON. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1-2 MILES FROM THE ARPT THE POWER CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TUNED THE TWR AND COMMUNICATED MY PROBLEM. THEY INDICATED FOR ME TO LAND ON ANY RWY. THE GREN GEAR DOWN LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I DO NOT LIKE BREAKING REGS SUCH AS ARSA AND ARPT CTL ZONES, BUT I CONSIDERED THIS AN EMER. AT ONE POINT I THOUGHT I SMELLED SMOKE, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED, SO I ASSUME THAT WAS JUST NERVOUSNESS. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS AFTERWARD IS WHAT WOULD/COULD I DO DIFFERENTLY IF THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN. I DOUBT THERE IS OR WAS ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I WILL KNOW MORE IN THIS REGARD WHEN THE REPAIR SHOP FINDS THE PROBLEM. IF I HAD A FAILURE AGAIN JUST LIKE THIS, I THINK I WOULD DO THE SAME. I PROCEEDED IN AS SAFE A MANNER AS I KNEW. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.