Narrative:

IFR flight plan rdu to bwi. Alternator intermittent problem previous day going into rdu. Mechanic at rdu couldn't duplicate problem on ground. Departed rdu and got low volt light. Circled to land. Problem went away. Landed and talked to mechanic. Took back off to bwi. Proceeded en route when low volt light appeared and went out on several more occasions. Notified center before switching to richmond approach control. Richmond advised couldn't receive transponder code and asked me to report intersection and hpw. Complied. Then advised weak radio and light on radio. All other electrical had been turned off before hpw. Advised within several mins all electric power failed. IFR to bwi previously. Decided couldn't get down and lock indication west/O electric, so proceeded for bwi using pilotage and wet compass. Initial loss became off course while flying and trying to late time (with gear pumped down) to tappa intersection. Flew south of tappa I think into R4005 and maybe through R4006. Got oriented and over pxt joined V93 visually. Flew V83 to graco intersection and then saw visibility approach point for ILS 28 and crossed at 2600' MSL. Descended to pattern altitude and circled north and east of 33R to get light signals. Receive light signals so watched pattern and entered downwind for runway 33R bwi. Landed free of incident. Taxied, parked and called FSS on landline. Was asked why I didn't land at VFR airport. I advised I wanted a longer runway with crash equipment. No electric, no flaps or gear extension. Pumped gear down manually back north of hpw because at rdu before when gear cycled altitude problem disappeared. Couldn't get gear back up, so was flying 25-30 KTS slower. I decided bwi because pxt is controled and so is richmond. Other GA airports short runways and no crash equipment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter indicated loss of electrical power was caused by a loose ground wire to gen, which was not found the previous day in rdu. Mechanic at bwi took several hours to analyze the electrical problem. FAA has given reporter notice of investigation. Conversations to date with FAA and center controller had been hostile on part of FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LOST ELECTRICAL AND WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC. PENETRATED TCA.

Narrative: IFR FLT PLAN RDU TO BWI. ALTERNATOR INTERMITTENT PROB PREVIOUS DAY GOING INTO RDU. MECH AT RDU COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROB ON GND. DEPARTED RDU AND GOT LOW VOLT LIGHT. CIRCLED TO LAND. PROB WENT AWAY. LANDED AND TALKED TO MECH. TOOK BACK OFF TO BWI. PROCEEDED ENRTE WHEN LOW VOLT LIGHT APPEARED AND WENT OUT ON SEVERAL MORE OCCASIONS. NOTIFIED CENTER BEFORE SWITCHING TO RICHMOND APCH CTL. RICHMOND ADVISED COULDN'T RECEIVE XPONDER CODE AND ASKED ME TO RPT INTXN AND HPW. COMPLIED. THEN ADVISED WEAK RADIO AND LIGHT ON RADIO. ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL HAD BEEN TURNED OFF BEFORE HPW. ADVISED WITHIN SEVERAL MINS ALL ELECTRIC PWR FAILED. IFR TO BWI PREVIOUSLY. DECIDED COULDN'T GET DOWN AND LOCK INDICATION W/O ELECTRIC, SO PROCEEDED FOR BWI USING PILOTAGE AND WET COMPASS. INITIAL LOSS BECAME OFF COURSE WHILE FLYING AND TRYING TO LATE TIME (WITH GEAR PUMPED DOWN) TO TAPPA INTXN. FLEW S OF TAPPA I THINK INTO R4005 AND MAYBE THROUGH R4006. GOT ORIENTED AND OVER PXT JOINED V93 VISUALLY. FLEW V83 TO GRACO INTXN AND THEN SAW VIS APCH POINT FOR ILS 28 AND CROSSED AT 2600' MSL. DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT AND CIRCLED N AND E OF 33R TO GET LIGHT SIGNALS. RECEIVE LIGHT SIGNALS SO WATCHED PATTERN AND ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 33R BWI. LANDED FREE OF INCIDENT. TAXIED, PARKED AND CALLED FSS ON LANDLINE. WAS ASKED WHY I DIDN'T LAND AT VFR ARPT. I ADVISED I WANTED A LONGER RWY WITH CRASH EQUIP. NO ELECTRIC, NO FLAPS OR GEAR EXTENSION. PUMPED GEAR DOWN MANUALLY BACK N OF HPW BECAUSE AT RDU BEFORE WHEN GEAR CYCLED ALT PROB DISAPPEARED. COULDN'T GET GEAR BACK UP, SO WAS FLYING 25-30 KTS SLOWER. I DECIDED BWI BECAUSE PXT IS CTLED AND SO IS RICHMOND. OTHER GA ARPTS SHORT RWYS AND NO CRASH EQUIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR INDICATED LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WAS CAUSED BY A LOOSE GND WIRE TO GEN, WHICH WAS NOT FOUND THE PREVIOUS DAY IN RDU. MECH AT BWI TOOK SEVERAL HRS TO ANALYZE THE ELECTRICAL PROB. FAA HAS GIVEN RPTR NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION. CONVERSATIONS TO DATE WITH FAA AND CENTER CTLR HAD BEEN HOSTILE ON PART OF FAA.

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.