Narrative:

I had left fort smith eastbound with radar service terminated squawking 1200 and cruising at 3500'. Later still west of jonesboro I began noticing something was not right. The area was hilly and sparsely populated and according to the map not close to any VOR station. I spent sometime trying to get an exact fix on where I was when I discovered the radios were failing. Then the gas gauges began showing much lower readings. I began to look for an emergency strip. The engine was running smoothly the lights were still on and the LORAN and transponder were still working. My thoughts were 'the radio quit and now the fuel line is broken.' seeing no place to land I continued on course knowing jonesboro airport should be the closest airport. I was not able to call anyone and decided to stay on altitude because I knew the engine would soon fail. Approximately 5-10 mi west of jonesboro I began thinking through each item of information that was available. I knew I should have more than enough fuel. The gauges were electrically pwred. The radios failed from lack of power and my gen gauge might be stuck. My alternator had failed. By now I was over jonesboro at 3500' preparing to descend to the airport visibility was 10-15 mi. At that instant my transponder failed. I was certain of the problem. My lights were running on battery and engine was running on magnetos. I then descended to 2800' and flew on to my destination. I was in a panic by the events over unfamiliar terrain at night. It took me a period of time to calm down so while I was trying to figure things out I stayed at altitude. While I may have been close to the cloud base visibility was always good. Factors affecting quality of performance. Emergency situation. Physically tired at night. Other people in the plane. Result was a safe landing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I HAD LEFT FORT SMITH EBND WITH RADAR SVC TERMINATED SQUAWKING 1200 AND CRUISING AT 3500'. LATER STILL W OF JONESBORO I BEGAN NOTICING SOMETHING WAS NOT R. THE AREA WAS HILLY AND SPARSELY POPULATED AND ACCORDING TO THE MAP NOT CLOSE TO ANY VOR STATION. I SPENT SOMETIME TRYING TO GET AN EXACT FIX ON WHERE I WAS WHEN I DISCOVERED THE RADIOS WERE FAILING. THEN THE GAS GAUGES BEGAN SHOWING MUCH LOWER READINGS. I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR AN EMER STRIP. THE ENG WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY THE LIGHTS WERE STILL ON AND THE LORAN AND XPONDER WERE STILL WORKING. MY THOUGHTS WERE 'THE RADIO QUIT AND NOW THE FUEL LINE IS BROKEN.' SEEING NO PLACE TO LAND I CONTINUED ON COURSE KNOWING JONESBORO ARPT SHOULD BE THE CLOSEST ARPT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO CALL ANYONE AND DECIDED TO STAY ON ALT BECAUSE I KNEW THE ENG WOULD SOON FAIL. APPROX 5-10 MI W OF JONESBORO I BEGAN THINKING THROUGH EACH ITEM OF INFO THAT WAS AVAILABLE. I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH FUEL. THE GAUGES WERE ELECTRICALLY PWRED. THE RADIOS FAILED FROM LACK OF PWR AND MY GEN GAUGE MIGHT BE STUCK. MY ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED. BY NOW I WAS OVER JONESBORO AT 3500' PREPARING TO DSND TO THE ARPT VISIBILITY WAS 10-15 MI. AT THAT INSTANT MY XPONDER FAILED. I WAS CERTAIN OF THE PROB. MY LIGHTS WERE RUNNING ON BATTERY AND ENG WAS RUNNING ON MAGNETOS. I THEN DSNDED TO 2800' AND FLEW ON TO MY DEST. I WAS IN A PANIC BY THE EVENTS OVER UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN AT NIGHT. IT TOOK ME A PERIOD OF TIME TO CALM DOWN SO WHILE I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT I STAYED AT ALT. WHILE I MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO THE CLOUD BASE VISIBILITY WAS ALWAYS GOOD. FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE. EMER SITUATION. PHYSICALLY TIRED AT NIGHT. OTHER PEOPLE IN THE PLANE. RESULT WAS A SAFE LNDG.

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.