Cpr small transport lost electrical power 30 NM from hou. Followed lost communication procedure landing at nearest suitable airport but could not get tower signal light control prior to landing.

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Attributes
ACN	121931
Time
Date	198909
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hou
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	121931
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying on an IFR flight plan from bhm to hou. About 30 mi from houston hobby airport both alternator belts broke. The load meters went to zero and both red alternator out lights cane OM. I advised houston ARTCC of problem. I continued to hobby, overflew tower, looked for light, entered pattern and landed, squawked 7600 (radio failure), manually lowered the landing gear and landed. The tower failed to give a green light to land (no light given). I called tower by landline after landing and advised I was on the ground. I landed at the nearest available airport (hou). The tower should have observed my aircraft as a primary target on radar and given light signals as well as clear other traffic from my route of flight. Knowing my ground speed and ETA, a backup handheld radio would be a good safety item. One alternator should be gear driven if the other is belt driven.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT LOST ELECTRICAL POWER 30 NM FROM HOU. FOLLOWED LOST COM PROC LNDG AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT BUT COULD NOT GET TWR SIGNAL LIGHT CTL PRIOR TO LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM BHM TO HOU. ABOUT 30 MI FROM HOUSTON HOBBY ARPT BOTH ALTERNATOR BELTS BROKE. THE LOAD METERS WENT TO ZERO AND BOTH RED ALTERNATOR OUT LIGHTS CANE OM. I ADVISED HOUSTON ARTCC OF PROBLEM. I CONTINUED TO HOBBY, OVERFLEW TWR, LOOKED FOR LIGHT, ENTERED PATTERN AND LANDED, SQUAWKED 7600 (RADIO FAILURE), MANUALLY LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR AND LANDED. THE TWR FAILED TO GIVE A GREEN LIGHT TO LAND (NO LIGHT GIVEN). I CALLED TWR BY LANDLINE AFTER LNDG AND ADVISED I WAS ON THE GND. I LANDED AT THE NEAREST AVAILABLE ARPT (HOU). THE TWR SHOULD HAVE OBSERVED MY ACFT AS A PRIMARY TARGET ON RADAR AND GIVEN LIGHT SIGNALS AS WELL AS CLEAR OTHER TFC FROM MY ROUTE OF FLT. KNOWING MY GND SPEED AND ETA, A BACKUP HANDHELD RADIO WOULD BE A GOOD SAFETY ITEM. ONE ALTERNATOR SHOULD BE GEAR DRIVEN IF THE OTHER IS BELT DRIVEN.

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.