Narrative:

Cruising at 7000' MSL on an INS flight plan and clearance, the voltage regulator failed and so the alternator dropped off line. I was in contact with shaw approach and thought that I should shut down everything electrical and conserve battery strength to get the landing gear down safely with a good 3 green indication. I concluded that after cancelling IFR and advising of my intentions, I would shut off the master and alternator switches and proceed VFR at a lower altitude. I called shaw and told them that I had to get off the radio and was cancelling IFR. They acknowledged my cancellation and said I should fly 350 degrees until 10 mi north of shaw. I said that I had to turn east and descend to navigation around their restr airspace and to stay clear of their arsa. I was clear of their airspace at the time and did not want to get in a situation of having to use the radios or navaids. There was on response from shaw approach and they continued to talk to other aircraft. I couldn't wait forever and took their silence on the matter as approval of my advised intentions. I shut down everything electrical and continued VFR to kint and an uneventful landing. I feel that shaw should have continued to talk to me until my situation was resolved so that no misunderstanding would have occurred. Other aircraft on frequency were military so I couldn't hear their xmissions to assimilate the big picture. It seems priority is given to military and airline needs and wants and the little guy should be given the same consideration. Part of my concern about advising about my regulator failure was the perception of action from the FAA. Their gestapo enforcement procedures in the last few yrs against small aircraft operators has everyone spooked about telling pertinent details of a flight to ATC when it doesn't involve them. Even in this incident in which no regulations were violated and no improprieties occurred, I still fear the FAA will try to find something wrong and fine or ground me. This perception is widespread and is not a healthy environment for safety's sake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST ITS ALTERNATOR AT CRUISE ALT, CANCELLED IFR FLT PLAN AND CONTINUED VFR TO DESTINATION. REPORTER DOES NOT THINK HE GOT ADEQUATE ATTENTION FROM ATC AFTER HE CANCELLED HIS IFR FLT PLAN

Narrative: CRUISING AT 7000' MSL ON AN INS FLT PLAN AND CLRNC, THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR FAILED AND SO THE ALTERNATOR DROPPED OFF LINE. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH SHAW APCH AND THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL AND CONSERVE BATTERY STRENGTH TO GET THE LNDG GEAR DOWN SAFELY WITH A GOOD 3 GREEN INDICATION. I CONCLUDED THAT AFTER CANCELLING IFR AND ADVISING OF MY INTENTIONS, I WOULD SHUT OFF THE MASTER AND ALTERNATOR SWITCHES AND PROCEED VFR AT A LOWER ALT. I CALLED SHAW AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD TO GET OFF THE RADIO AND WAS CANCELLING IFR. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED MY CANCELLATION AND SAID I SHOULD FLY 350 DEGS UNTIL 10 MI N OF SHAW. I SAID THAT I HAD TO TURN E AND DSND TO NAV AROUND THEIR RESTR AIRSPACE AND TO STAY CLR OF THEIR ARSA. I WAS CLR OF THEIR AIRSPACE AT THE TIME AND DID NOT WANT TO GET IN A SITUATION OF HAVING TO USE THE RADIOS OR NAVAIDS. THERE WAS ON RESPONSE FROM SHAW APCH AND THEY CONTINUED TO TALK TO OTHER ACFT. I COULDN'T WAIT FOREVER AND TOOK THEIR SILENCE ON THE MATTER AS APPROVAL OF MY ADVISED INTENTIONS. I SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL AND CONTINUED VFR TO KINT AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I FEEL THAT SHAW SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO TALK TO ME UNTIL MY SITUATION WAS RESOLVED SO THAT NO MISUNDERSTANDING WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. OTHER ACFT ON FREQ WERE MIL SO I COULDN'T HEAR THEIR XMISSIONS TO ASSIMILATE THE BIG PICTURE. IT SEEMS PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO MIL AND AIRLINE NEEDS AND WANTS AND THE LITTLE GUY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME CONSIDERATION. PART OF MY CONCERN ABOUT ADVISING ABOUT MY REGULATOR FAILURE WAS THE PERCEPTION OF ACTION FROM THE FAA. THEIR GESTAPO ENFORCEMENT PROCS IN THE LAST FEW YRS AGAINST SMA OPERATORS HAS EVERYONE SPOOKED ABOUT TELLING PERTINENT DETAILS OF A FLT TO ATC WHEN IT DOESN'T INVOLVE THEM. EVEN IN THIS INCIDENT IN WHICH NO REGS WERE VIOLATED AND NO IMPROPRIETIES OCCURRED, I STILL FEAR THE FAA WILL TRY TO FIND SOMETHING WRONG AND FINE OR GND ME. THIS PERCEPTION IS WIDESPREAD AND IS NOT A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.

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.