Narrative:

I was flying VFR at 3500' from chester county airport, PA to cape may country airport, nj, visibility the dupont VOR and the sea island VOR. WX was 2500-3000' scattered with visibility approximately 10 mi. I was receiving VFR traffic advisories from phl approach control. Approximately 15 mi from my destination, I noticed that my electrical systems were acting peculiarly. The first manifestation was partial failure of the attitude indicator, followed by apparent failure of the RMI. I attempted to contact phl approach control to inform them of the situation, but was unable to do so. At the time, my transmitter sounded very weak. I changed to acy approach control frequency to inform them of the situation and was unable to make contact (again apparently because of the weak transmitter). While attempting these radio xmissions, I descended VFR through the scattered cloud layer and proceeded direct to cape may county airport, which I believed to be the nearest suitable airport. While approaching cape may, I checked circuit breaker's and inverters, but was unable to locate the cause of the problem. By now it was clear that the aircraft was experiencing a nearly complete electrical failure. I activated a hand-held transmitter-receiver, entered the traffic pattern and cape may county airport, making normal traffic advisory radio calls, and landed west/O further incident. After landing, I noticed that the gen switches for both engines were in the off position, which explained the partial electrical failure. I didn't attempt to contact phl approach control after landing. It seemed moot, since there was no real emergency and I was not under formal ATC control when I lost contact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ELECTRICAL FAILURE. PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR AT 3500' FROM CHESTER COUNTY ARPT, PA TO CAPE MAY COUNTRY ARPT, NJ, VIS THE DUPONT VOR AND THE SEA ISLAND VOR. WX WAS 2500-3000' SCATTERED WITH VISIBILITY APPROX 10 MI. I WAS RECEIVING VFR TFC ADVISORIES FROM PHL APCH CTL. APPROX 15 MI FROM MY DEST, I NOTICED THAT MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WERE ACTING PECULIARLY. THE FIRST MANIFESTATION WAS PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, FOLLOWED BY APPARENT FAILURE OF THE RMI. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT PHL APCH CTL TO INFORM THEM OF THE SITUATION, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. AT THE TIME, MY XMITTER SOUNDED VERY WEAK. I CHANGED TO ACY APCH CTL FREQ TO INFORM THEM OF THE SITUATION AND WAS UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT (AGAIN APPARENTLY BECAUSE OF THE WEAK XMITTER). WHILE ATTEMPTING THESE RADIO XMISSIONS, I DSNDED VFR THROUGH THE SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO CAPE MAY COUNTY ARPT, WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. WHILE APCHING CAPE MAY, I CHKED CB'S AND INVERTERS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROB. BY NOW IT WAS CLR THAT THE ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING A NEARLY COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I ACTIVATED A HAND-HELD XMITTER-RECEIVER, ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AND CAPE MAY COUNTY ARPT, MAKING NORMAL TFC ADVISORY RADIO CALLS, AND LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, I NOTICED THAT THE GEN SWITCHES FOR BOTH ENGS WERE IN THE OFF POS, WHICH EXPLAINED THE PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO CONTACT PHL APCH CTL AFTER LNDG. IT SEEMED MOOT, SINCE THERE WAS NO REAL EMER AND I WAS NOT UNDER FORMAL ATC CTL WHEN I LOST CONTACT.

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.