Narrative:

I departed the USA in small aircraft X on a pleasure flight to the bahamas, landing west/O incident at marsh harbour. No maintenance is available at myam. During preflight for departure, I could not energize the electrical system and discovered that the ground strap from the battery had contacted the hot side of the master solenoid, destroying the solenoid and discharging the battery. I filed a telephone flight plan with miami IFSS, advising them that the electrical system was inoperative, I did not have power to run the transponder, and that I would communication with FSS through my hand-held radio. I hand-propped the aircraft to start it after visly verifying that the fuel tanks were full. I know from past experience that it takes just over half the fuel to fly from myam to fll. WX was good VFR. I was unable to contact nassua radio to activate my flight plan, but a commuter pilot I reached said he would do so. When I called miami IFSS at the freeport rco, they advised my transmission was unintelligible. Ditto freeport FSS. I arranged to arrive at fll to the south of the control zone, clear of the departure path of runway 9L, used by heavy jet traffic. When I called the tower after listening to the ATIS, they advised that the transmission was unintelligible and to remain clear of the arsa. I began flying large triangles, outside the control zone, whereupon local controller asked if I was small aircraft X. I advised that I was and was cleared to land west/O incident, using 1 and 2 clicks of the hand-held to respond to the tower. Far's violated: 91.205 (B) (9) and 91.213, inoperative fuel gauges. 91.7 (a), airworthiness. 91.215 (B) (2), transponder within 25 mi of mia. 91.13: careless operations. ADIZ operations, part 99 far.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTING THE BAHAMAS WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS BREAKS A FEW RULES.

Narrative: I DEPARTED THE USA IN SMA X ON A PLEASURE FLT TO THE BAHAMAS, LNDG W/O INCIDENT AT MARSH HARBOUR. NO MAINT IS AVAILABLE AT MYAM. DURING PREFLT FOR DEP, I COULD NOT ENERGIZE THE ELECTRICAL SYS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE GND STRAP FROM THE BATTERY HAD CONTACTED THE HOT SIDE OF THE MASTER SOLENOID, DESTROYING THE SOLENOID AND DISCHARGING THE BATTERY. I FILED A TELEPHONE FLT PLAN WITH MIAMI IFSS, ADVISING THEM THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE, I DID NOT HAVE PWR TO RUN THE XPONDER, AND THAT I WOULD COM WITH FSS THROUGH MY HAND-HELD RADIO. I HAND-PROPPED THE ACFT TO START IT AFTER VISLY VERIFYING THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE FULL. I KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE THAT IT TAKES JUST OVER HALF THE FUEL TO FLY FROM MYAM TO FLL. WX WAS GOOD VFR. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT NASSUA RADIO TO ACTIVATE MY FLT PLAN, BUT A COMMUTER PLT I REACHED SAID HE WOULD DO SO. WHEN I CALLED MIAMI IFSS AT THE FREEPORT RCO, THEY ADVISED MY XMISSION WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE. DITTO FREEPORT FSS. I ARRANGED TO ARRIVE AT FLL TO THE S OF THE CTL ZONE, CLR OF THE DEP PATH OF RWY 9L, USED BY HVY JET TFC. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR AFTER LISTENING TO THE ATIS, THEY ADVISED THAT THE XMISSION WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE AND TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ARSA. I BEGAN FLYING LARGE TRIANGLES, OUTSIDE THE CTL ZONE, WHEREUPON LCL CTLR ASKED IF I WAS SMA X. I ADVISED THAT I WAS AND WAS CLRED TO LAND W/O INCIDENT, USING 1 AND 2 CLICKS OF THE HAND-HELD TO RESPOND TO THE TWR. FAR'S VIOLATED: 91.205 (B) (9) AND 91.213, INOPERATIVE FUEL GAUGES. 91.7 (A), AIRWORTHINESS. 91.215 (B) (2), XPONDER WITHIN 25 MI OF MIA. 91.13: CARELESS OPS. ADIZ OPS, PART 99 FAR.

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.