Narrative:

I was plting a VFR night flight from kentmorr airstrip to gaithersburg, md. I had planned on using the VFR corridor flyway under the baltimore/washington TCA from east to west. I contacted baltimore approach right after liftoff from kentmorr island on the east bank of the chesapeake. Shortly after crossing the west bank of the bay I experienced a partial electrical failure. I lost my navigation capability from my LORAN and vors. At full volume I could barely hear approach and he was reporting carrier wave only from me. I tried to advise him of my situation to no avail. After several attempts to advise him, he came back and said, 'leaving my airspace squawk 1200 frequency change approved'. The controller seemed completely unwilling to offer any assistance to this aircraft that was obviously in mild distress. I shut down all the radios to conserve battery power for the position and anti-collision lights. So now the only means of navigation that I had was pilotage from the TCA chart in 3-4 mi visibility at night. The WX deteriorated and it began to rain. I had 3 mi visibility if I was lucky. In the course of doing my best to navigation the VFR flyway in 3 mi visibility at night with no radios, I stumbled across a landmark that I did recognize. It was the washington arena which lies about 1.5 mi inside the surface ring of the andrews TCA to the north. I immediately turned north and followed the capital beltway to familiar landmarks and on to gai (gaithersburg). If I had had radios I would have declared an emergency and had the approach control give me vectors to gai. Due to adverse conditions, equipment failure, and the lack of any help from ATC I operated an aircraft just barely inside the surface ring of the andrews TCA without a clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA HAD RADIO FAILURE IN DCA AREA, ENTERED DCA TCA, UNABLE TO NAV WITH INSTS, ENCOUNTERED RAIN - PILOTAGE TO GAI.

Narrative: I WAS PLTING A VFR NIGHT FLT FROM KENTMORR AIRSTRIP TO GAITHERSBURG, MD. I HAD PLANNED ON USING THE VFR CORRIDOR FLYWAY UNDER THE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON TCA FROM E TO W. I CONTACTED BALTIMORE APCH RIGHT AFTER LIFTOFF FROM KENTMORR ISLAND ON THE E BANK OF THE CHESAPEAKE. SHORTLY AFTER XING THE W BANK OF THE BAY I EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I LOST MY NAV CAPABILITY FROM MY LORAN AND VORS. AT FULL VOLUME I COULD BARELY HEAR APCH AND HE WAS RPTING CARRIER WAVE ONLY FROM ME. I TRIED TO ADVISE HIM OF MY SITUATION TO NO AVAIL. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ADVISE HIM, HE CAME BACK AND SAID, 'LEAVING MY AIRSPACE SQUAWK 1200 FREQ CHANGE APPROVED'. THE CTLR SEEMED COMPLETELY UNWILLING TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE TO THIS ACFT THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY IN MILD DISTRESS. I SHUT DOWN ALL THE RADIOS TO CONSERVE BATTERY PWR FOR THE POS AND ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS. SO NOW THE ONLY MEANS OF NAV THAT I HAD WAS PILOTAGE FROM THE TCA CHART IN 3-4 MI VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. THE WX DETERIORATED AND IT BEGAN TO RAIN. I HAD 3 MI VISIBILITY IF I WAS LUCKY. IN THE COURSE OF DOING MY BEST TO NAV THE VFR FLYWAY IN 3 MI VISIBILITY AT NIGHT WITH NO RADIOS, I STUMBLED ACROSS A LANDMARK THAT I DID RECOGNIZE. IT WAS THE WASHINGTON ARENA WHICH LIES ABOUT 1.5 MI INSIDE THE SURFACE RING OF THE ANDREWS TCA TO THE N. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED N AND FOLLOWED THE CAPITAL BELTWAY TO FAMILIAR LANDMARKS AND ON TO GAI (GAITHERSBURG). IF I HAD HAD RADIOS I WOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER AND HAD THE APCH CTL GIVE ME VECTORS TO GAI. DUE TO ADVERSE CONDITIONS, EQUIP FAILURE, AND THE LACK OF ANY HELP FROM ATC I OPERATED AN ACFT JUST BARELY INSIDE THE SURFACE RING OF THE ANDREWS TCA WITHOUT A CLRNC.

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.