Narrative:

After receiving my final WX briefing for atlanta area and atl which was reporting 800 broken, 1500 overcast, 3 NM mi with light rain and fog, I decided to pick up a void time clearance from 9a7 for my student and I to shoot some practice approachs. The void time was for 20 and we departed at 15. Everything was normal and going fine until we began to intercept the localizer. I noticed we weren't getting a G/south reception. FSS said the compass locator was OTS ad the ILS was in use. So I shot the localizer approach and the ceilings had dropped below minimums, so we went missed. Over the radio I heard them reporting 600 (broken or overcast, I don't remember) and 1 1/2 mi visibility. The MDA brings you to 750' AGL and I decided to try the approach again in hopes of maybe breaking out through a hole or something. We were being vectored for the second localizer approach when the problems started. ATC notified us and said that he wasn't receiving our mode C. About 2 mins after that we found that we couldn't transmit on our #1 communication. We could hear ATC, but were not heard. ATC tried to have another aircraft contact us and he couldn't hear us either. We tried the #2 C OM and were able to communicate. We were then told that ATC wasn't receiving our transponder code and could we please recycle. I tried that and never found out if it worked. He told us to turn to heading 120 degrees and notify him when we were established on the localizer. That was the last transmission we received. Our #2 communication was also dead, but we couldn't hear anything, either. At approximately 3/4 deflection on the localizer interception both navs went out simultaneously. Our interim lights wouldn't work. The fuel gauges were pressed on 'east' and the ammeter showed the alternator wasn't charging. The circuit breaker's were all in and we recycled the altimeter with no luck. Assuming our position within 10 NM of the OM and 3-5 degrees off course, I looked on the approach plate and sectional and noticed that there weren't obstructions nearby on what would be the final approach course, so we began a descent. Occasionally you could see the ground through holes, but for the most part we were in the clouds. We broke out and found ourselves on a highway which ran parallel with the approach course. Flying at about 250' AGL and with approximately 2 mi visibility in light rain, we flew on down the road in hopes of hitting the airport. Unfortunately there is a ridge of trees between the OM and im which stood in our way of following the highway to the airport, so I executed a 180 degree turn and started flying looking for a place to land or another airport. West/O any luck, it turned out that the safest thing would be to land as soon as possible--it was getting dark--so we touched down on the median, a 50-60' grass median on the highway. There was minor damage to the propeller tips and possibly the nose wheel. B and I were all right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON A TRAINING FLT LANDED ON HIGHWAY MEDIAN STRIP WHEN ALTERNATOR FAILED AND WX WAS DETERIORATING.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING MY FINAL WX BRIEFING FOR ATLANTA AREA AND ATL WHICH WAS RPTING 800 BROKEN, 1500 OVCST, 3 NM MI WITH LIGHT RAIN AND FOG, I DECIDED TO PICK UP A VOID TIME CLRNC FROM 9A7 FOR MY STUDENT AND I TO SHOOT SOME PRACTICE APCHS. THE VOID TIME WAS FOR 20 AND WE DEPARTED AT 15. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND GOING FINE UNTIL WE BEGAN TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I NOTICED WE WEREN'T GETTING A G/S RECEPTION. FSS SAID THE COMPASS LOCATOR WAS OTS AD THE ILS WAS IN USE. SO I SHOT THE LOC APCH AND THE CEILINGS HAD DROPPED BELOW MINIMUMS, SO WE WENT MISSED. OVER THE RADIO I HEARD THEM RPTING 600 (BROKEN OR OVCST, I DON'T REMEMBER) AND 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. THE MDA BRINGS YOU TO 750' AGL AND I DECIDED TO TRY THE APCH AGAIN IN HOPES OF MAYBE BREAKING OUT THROUGH A HOLE OR SOMETHING. WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE SECOND LOC APCH WHEN THE PROBS STARTED. ATC NOTIFIED US AND SAID THAT HE WASN'T RECEIVING OUR MODE C. ABOUT 2 MINS AFTER THAT WE FOUND THAT WE COULDN'T XMIT ON OUR #1 COM. WE COULD HEAR ATC, BUT WERE NOT HEARD. ATC TRIED TO HAVE ANOTHER ACFT CONTACT US AND HE COULDN'T HEAR US EITHER. WE TRIED THE #2 C OM AND WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT ATC WASN'T RECEIVING OUR XPONDER CODE AND COULD WE PLEASE RECYCLE. I TRIED THAT AND NEVER FOUND OUT IF IT WORKED. HE TOLD US TO TURN TO HDG 120 DEGS AND NOTIFY HIM WHEN WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC. THAT WAS THE LAST XMISSION WE RECEIVED. OUR #2 COM WAS ALSO DEAD, BUT WE COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING, EITHER. AT APPROX 3/4 DEFLECTION ON THE LOC INTERCEPTION BOTH NAVS WENT OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. OUR INTERIM LIGHTS WOULDN'T WORK. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE PRESSED ON 'E' AND THE AMMETER SHOWED THE ALTERNATOR WASN'T CHARGING. THE CB'S WERE ALL IN AND WE RECYCLED THE ALTIMETER WITH NO LUCK. ASSUMING OUR POS WITHIN 10 NM OF THE OM AND 3-5 DEGS OFF COURSE, I LOOKED ON THE APCH PLATE AND SECTIONAL AND NOTICED THAT THERE WEREN'T OBSTRUCTIONS NEARBY ON WHAT WOULD BE THE FINAL APCH COURSE, SO WE BEGAN A DSCNT. OCCASIONALLY YOU COULD SEE THE GND THROUGH HOLES, BUT FOR THE MOST PART WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS. WE BROKE OUT AND FOUND OURSELVES ON A HWY WHICH RAN PARALLEL WITH THE APCH COURSE. FLYING AT ABOUT 250' AGL AND WITH APPROX 2 MI VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN, WE FLEW ON DOWN THE ROAD IN HOPES OF HITTING THE ARPT. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS A RIDGE OF TREES BTWN THE OM AND IM WHICH STOOD IN OUR WAY OF FOLLOWING THE HWY TO THE ARPT, SO I EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN AND STARTED FLYING LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND OR ANOTHER ARPT. W/O ANY LUCK, IT TURNED OUT THAT THE SAFEST THING WOULD BE TO LAND ASAP--IT WAS GETTING DARK--SO WE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MEDIAN, A 50-60' GRASS MEDIAN ON THE HWY. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROP TIPS AND POSSIBLY THE NOSE WHEEL. B AND I WERE ALL RIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.