Narrative:

Routine pleasure flight from bhm to gad west/O incident. Upon departure, from gad, battery was very weak and aircraft was hard to start. However, upon start, voltmeter did indicate a slight charge. However, the decision was made to abort the remainder of the planned flight, and return to bhm. Tracking the 237 right from the gadsden VOR, bhm approach control was contacted over sringville, al, 23 NM from the primary arsa airport. Bhm approach issued a squawk code, and requested identify, which was performed. Within 2-3 mins, I noticed the VOR needle wandering back and forth across the dial. At this time, I adjusted the squelch on the radio, and realized that I was now west/O radio reception. I attempted to use #2 communication, and met with negative results. At this time, I transmitted in the blind to bhm approach control, and notified them that I could not receive, and that I was encountering an electrical malfunction, and that I was shutting down all electrical equipment to allow the battery to build up a charge. After approximately 2 mins, I turned on the master switch, and again called approach and stated my position, altitude, intentions, and the nature of the problem, and the fact that I was west/O communications. At approximately 5 mi from the airport, and in visibility contact, I called the bhm tower, and stated position, altitude intentions, and the problem. At this time, I left the radio on, and sporadic and broken, heard enough to understand the tower had cleared me to land. The approach and landing was west/O incident, even though, upon T/D there was not enough battery power left to contact ground control. Later, I contacted the tower via telephone, and the on duty supervisor said that there was no problem, and there had been no conflict with other traffic, etc, and that as far as the tower facility was concerned, this was a closed matter, and there was no need for any report. (Thanks to the bhm facility for their help, understanding, and all the assistance). The problem is in the aircraft: the voltmeter never gave any indication of a problem. The low/high voltage lights never illuminated. Cbs never 'popped'. Manufacturers' published procedure to reset the alternator did not work. The first real indication of a problem was detected in the VOR needle, and had I not encountered electrical failure in other company products, would not have detected the problem as soon. Recommendation: needs to rework the electrical fault system of this series aircraft to: provide 'positive' indication of the alternator not providing a charge. Provide 'positive' indication of in flight battery discharge. Had either of the above been available, this problem would have become known immediately after takeoff from bhm, and the entire incident avoided. (Had it happened on an IFR flight, an incident may have become an accident).

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST ELECTRICAL POWER BETWEEN BHM AND GAD. PLT CONSERVED ENOUGH BATTERY POWER TO GIVE A POSITION REPORT AND INTENTIONS TO BHM APCH.

Narrative: ROUTINE PLEASURE FLT FROM BHM TO GAD W/O INCIDENT. UPON DEP, FROM GAD, BATTERY WAS VERY WEAK AND ACFT WAS HARD TO START. HOWEVER, UPON START, VOLTMETER DID INDICATE A SLIGHT CHARGE. HOWEVER, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO ABORT THE REMAINDER OF THE PLANNED FLT, AND RETURN TO BHM. TRACKING THE 237 R FROM THE GADSDEN VOR, BHM APCH CTL WAS CONTACTED OVER SRINGVILLE, AL, 23 NM FROM THE PRIMARY ARSA ARPT. BHM APCH ISSUED A SQUAWK CODE, AND REQUESTED IDENT, WHICH WAS PERFORMED. WITHIN 2-3 MINS, I NOTICED THE VOR NEEDLE WANDERING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE DIAL. AT THIS TIME, I ADJUSTED THE SQUELCH ON THE RADIO, AND REALIZED THAT I WAS NOW W/O RADIO RECEPTION. I ATTEMPTED TO USE #2 COM, AND MET WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. AT THIS TIME, I XMITTED IN THE BLIND TO BHM APCH CTL, AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT I COULD NOT RECEIVE, AND THAT I WAS ENCOUNTERING AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION, AND THAT I WAS SHUTTING DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP TO ALLOW THE BATTERY TO BUILD UP A CHARGE. AFTER APPROX 2 MINS, I TURNED ON THE MASTER SWITCH, AND AGAIN CALLED APCH AND STATED MY POS, ALT, INTENTIONS, AND THE NATURE OF THE PROB, AND THE FACT THAT I WAS W/O COMS. AT APPROX 5 MI FROM THE ARPT, AND IN VIS CONTACT, I CALLED THE BHM TWR, AND STATED POS, ALT INTENTIONS, AND THE PROB. AT THIS TIME, I LEFT THE RADIO ON, AND SPORADIC AND BROKEN, HEARD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THE TWR HAD CLRED ME TO LAND. THE APCH AND LNDG WAS W/O INCIDENT, EVEN THOUGH, UPON T/D THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BATTERY PWR L TO CONTACT GND CTL. LATER, I CONTACTED THE TWR VIA TELEPHONE, AND THE ON DUTY SUPVR SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROB, AND THERE HAD BEEN NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC, ETC, AND THAT AS FAR AS THE TWR FAC WAS CONCERNED, THIS WAS A CLOSED MATTER, AND THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ANY RPT. (THANKS TO THE BHM FAC FOR THEIR HELP, UNDERSTANDING, AND ALL THE ASSISTANCE). THE PROB IS IN THE ACFT: THE VOLTMETER NEVER GAVE ANY INDICATION OF A PROB. THE LOW/HIGH VOLTAGE LIGHTS NEVER ILLUMINATED. CBS NEVER 'POPPED'. MANUFACTURERS' PUBLISHED PROC TO RESET THE ALTERNATOR DID NOT WORK. THE FIRST REAL INDICATION OF A PROB WAS DETECTED IN THE VOR NEEDLE, AND HAD I NOT ENCOUNTERED ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN OTHER COMPANY PRODUCTS, WOULD NOT HAVE DETECTED THE PROB AS SOON. RECOMMENDATION: NEEDS TO REWORK THE ELECTRICAL FAULT SYS OF THIS SERIES ACFT TO: PROVIDE 'POSITIVE' INDICATION OF THE ALTERNATOR NOT PROVIDING A CHARGE. PROVIDE 'POSITIVE' INDICATION OF IN FLT BATTERY DISCHARGE. HAD EITHER OF THE ABOVE BEEN AVAILABLE, THIS PROB WOULD HAVE BECOME KNOWN IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF FROM BHM, AND THE ENTIRE INCIDENT AVOIDED. (HAD IT HAPPENED ON AN IFR FLT, AN INCIDENT MAY HAVE BECOME AN ACCIDENT).

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.