Narrative:

The night of navigation, tue, 1990, while making an approach into niagara falls international, I experienced a problem with my D/G and attitude indicator. After landing, I found that the vacuum pump broke. I was supposed to fly back to boston the same night but didn't want to fly at night using the compass, so I decided to stay. Early the next day, after filing my flight plan, I had a hard time starting the engine. I called the tower and asked permission to fly over the falls. I went around the falls twice at 2500', then I asked the tower for a east departure. When over the field I was told to contact buf approach which I did. They gave me radar advisories and a squawk. Then I requested 5500' and they cleared me to my new altitude. When I reached 5500' I didn't get any response from approach. I checked all my radios (navigation, communications) my ammeter was showing a normal charge and my alternator warning light didn't go off at any moment. After checking all my fuses and breakers and trying to contact approach all my radios started blinking and I lost all the displays. Right at that point I turned around and squawked 7700 for 1 min and 7600 for the rest of the time. I began the search for an airport with no luck. I was still at 5500'. I idented the field as being buffalo international airport. I tried to contact the tower on its frequency west/O yelling any response, I went down to 4500', flew in circles for a few mins. I looked for the active runway and any traffic. Since I didn't see any aircraft in the pattern and in the airport area, I went for the runway landing with no flaps, light or electrical equipment. After briefing my passengers about emergency procedures, I landed the airplane with no problems. The mechanics at the airport told me about the alternator and the vacuum pump. No physical damage was done to the plane and all the passengers and myself were fine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DIVERTS TO BUF AFTER LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AND VACUUM.

Narrative: THE NIGHT OF NAV, TUE, 1990, WHILE MAKING AN APCH INTO NIAGARA FALLS INTL, I EXPERIENCED A PROB WITH MY D/G AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR. AFTER LNDG, I FOUND THAT THE VACUUM PUMP BROKE. I WAS SUPPOSED TO FLY BACK TO BOSTON THE SAME NIGHT BUT DIDN'T WANT TO FLY AT NIGHT USING THE COMPASS, SO I DECIDED TO STAY. EARLY THE NEXT DAY, AFTER FILING MY FLT PLAN, I HAD A HARD TIME STARTING THE ENG. I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED PERMISSION TO FLY OVER THE FALLS. I WENT AROUND THE FALLS TWICE AT 2500', THEN I ASKED THE TWR FOR A E DEP. WHEN OVER THE FIELD I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT BUF APCH WHICH I DID. THEY GAVE ME RADAR ADVISORIES AND A SQUAWK. THEN I REQUESTED 5500' AND THEY CLRED ME TO MY NEW ALT. WHEN I REACHED 5500' I DIDN'T GET ANY RESPONSE FROM APCH. I CHKED ALL MY RADIOS (NAV, COMS) MY AMMETER WAS SHOWING A NORMAL CHARGE AND MY ALTERNATOR WARNING LIGHT DIDN'T GO OFF AT ANY MOMENT. AFTER CHKING ALL MY FUSES AND BREAKERS AND TRYING TO CONTACT APCH ALL MY RADIOS STARTED BLINKING AND I LOST ALL THE DISPLAYS. RIGHT AT THAT POINT I TURNED AROUND AND SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND 7600 FOR THE REST OF THE TIME. I BEGAN THE SEARCH FOR AN ARPT WITH NO LUCK. I WAS STILL AT 5500'. I IDENTED THE FIELD AS BEING BUFFALO INTL ARPT. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR ON ITS FREQ W/O YELLING ANY RESPONSE, I WENT DOWN TO 4500', FLEW IN CIRCLES FOR A FEW MINS. I LOOKED FOR THE ACTIVE RWY AND ANY TFC. SINCE I DIDN'T SEE ANY ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND IN THE ARPT AREA, I WENT FOR THE RWY LNDG WITH NO FLAPS, LIGHT OR ELECTRICAL EQUIP. AFTER BRIEFING MY PAXS ABOUT EMER PROCS, I LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITH NO PROBS. THE MECHS AT THE ARPT TOLD ME ABOUT THE ALTERNATOR AND THE VACUUM PUMP. NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE PLANE AND ALL THE PAXS AND MYSELF WERE FINE.

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.