Narrative:

I was on a flight from greenwood, mi to evv on an IFR flight plan in clear VFR WX conditions, when I noticed my low voltage light come on. The time was about xxpm local. I called ZME and told them the problem and cancelled my IFR flight plan and went VFR so I could shut down all radios and navigation equipment. I could see the lights of evv, so I called evv approach and told them I was about 70 NM south and that I thought I'd lost my altimeter and needed to shut everything down. They told me to call back when I was abeam central city, ky. So I found my fix where I was and shut the radios back off until I was closer to central city. When I went to turn my navigation radio back on the battery was too low for it to work. Since the visibility was good, I chose to keep going to evv because that's my home base and I know the area and airport. The problem was when I got to evv and entered the traffic pattern the control tower did not know I was there because the radio was not working, the battery was too weak. So I continued to circle in the traffic pattern and waited for a light signal from the tower but never received one. We had a company hand-held radio and called our shop to call the local FBO, and they were asked to call the tower and tell them we were in the traffic pattern circling, waiting for a clearance to land. Then we got a clearance and landed. After landing I was told to call the tower and I did. All they wanted was my name, address and phone #, and # of the aircraft. I asked if there was a problem and he said no.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST ELECTRICAL POWER AND RADIO COM CAPABILITY. DESTINATION TRACON WAS ADVISED OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE BATTERY WENT DEAD, BUT DID NOT PASS THE INFORMATION TO TWR.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM GREENWOOD, MI TO EVV ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN CLR VFR WX CONDITIONS, WHEN I NOTICED MY LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT COME ON. THE TIME WAS ABOUT XXPM LCL. I CALLED ZME AND TOLD THEM THE PROB AND CANCELLED MY IFR FLT PLAN AND WENT VFR SO I COULD SHUT DOWN ALL RADIOS AND NAV EQUIP. I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF EVV, SO I CALLED EVV APCH AND TOLD THEM I WAS ABOUT 70 NM S AND THAT I THOUGHT I'D LOST MY ALTIMETER AND NEEDED TO SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL BACK WHEN I WAS ABEAM CENTRAL CITY, KY. SO I FOUND MY FIX WHERE I WAS AND SHUT THE RADIOS BACK OFF UNTIL I WAS CLOSER TO CENTRAL CITY. WHEN I WENT TO TURN MY NAV RADIO BACK ON THE BATTERY WAS TOO LOW FOR IT TO WORK. SINCE THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, I CHOSE TO KEEP GOING TO EVV BECAUSE THAT'S MY HOME BASE AND I KNOW THE AREA AND ARPT. THE PROB WAS WHEN I GOT TO EVV AND ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN THE CTL TWR DID NOT KNOW I WAS THERE BECAUSE THE RADIO WAS NOT WORKING, THE BATTERY WAS TOO WEAK. SO I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE IN THE TFC PATTERN AND WAITED FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR BUT NEVER RECEIVED ONE. WE HAD A COMPANY HAND-HELD RADIO AND CALLED OUR SHOP TO CALL THE LCL FBO, AND THEY WERE ASKED TO CALL THE TWR AND TELL THEM WE WERE IN THE TFC PATTERN CIRCLING, WAITING FOR A CLRNC TO LAND. THEN WE GOT A CLRNC AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE TWR AND I DID. ALL THEY WANTED WAS MY NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE #, AND # OF THE ACFT. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AND HE SAID NO.

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.