Narrative:

I am a student pilot, and was to fly a rental small aircraft X on solo flight from ann arbor, michigan to muskegon, michigan, to fort wayne, indiana, and back to ann arbor. Prior to departure I completed the preflight check, had both fuel tanks topped off, and rechked the fuel and filler caps. The WX was clear. On the first leg of the flight, approximately 25 NM southeast of the grand rapids arsa at 4500 MSL, I contacted grand rapids approach and requested VFR flight advisory service. At approximately AA00Z, several mins later, I noticed that my radio reception was unclr. I called approach and asked for a radio check. I was told that they read me 'loud and clear'. Shortly thereafter, while in sight of kent county international airport, my radio failed to receive any transmissions. I checked all of the radio controls and was unable to remedy the situation. The lighted numbers on the radio became very dim and were flashing off and on. I considered an electrical failure. I decided to divert to riverview airport, which is approximately 13 NM northwest, as it is an uncontrolled airport not requiring 2-WAY radio communication. At that time, I noted that my fuel gauges read 1/4 full. Thinking that I might be transmitting and not receiving, I called grand rapids approach and announced my intent to divert to riverview airport. Shortly after diverting, I noted that both fuel gauges read empty. When I left ann arbor, I estimated I had fuel for 3 hours and 40 mins. At that point, I had been flying approximately 1 1/2 hours and should have had adequate fuel. Considering the radio or electrical failure and the fuel gauge readings, I decided that the outcome of this flight was definitely in question. I was unable to see riverview airport, however I was still in clear view of kent county international airport. I decided that landing at kent county international was my best option. I announced my intent to land at kent county international on the approach frequency. I decided to follow the transponder procedure during 2-WAY communication failure. I squawked 7700 for 1 min and then switched to 7600. I then thoroughly looked for traffic, there was none. I could see an airplane taking off on runway 26L. I descended into the traffic pattern for a downwind for runway 26L and looked for light signals from the control tower. At that time, I was unable to see any light signals. I turned base and then final and was still unable to see any light signals. I had left my radio on the approach frequency. While on final, I was able to faintly hear a clearance to land. After landing, I cleared the runway and moved out of the way, as a large jet was waiting to depart. I then received a green flashing light signal from the tower, and could see a controller motioning for me to taxi wward. I parked and immediately called lansing FSS and closed my flight plan. An airport security officer was kind enough to direct me to the FBO. I called FBO in ann arbor informing them of what had transpired. The center sent an small aircraft Y with personnel to kent county. I was flown back to ann arbor in the small aircraft Y. FBO personnel flew small aircraft X back to ann arbor. I called the grand rapids tower to thank them for their help and to apologize for the inconvenience that I caused. I spoke with the tower manager who stated that his only concern was that I was all right. He did not indicate that any of my actions were inappropriate, and did not request a written report. It was later ascertained that I had a defective headphone set which caused the radio to malfunction. The fuel was adequate. I did obtain a new set of headphones and will return my old ones to the factory for repair. I also purchased a hand-held transceiver to use as a backup radio. I now know, in the event of radio failure to unplug the headphone system and try the speaker. I am most appreciative to those individuals that assisted me in returning safely. It is very comforting to know there are people on the ground ready and able to help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ON XCOUNTRY FLT HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT, AND WAS TO FLY A RENTAL SMA X ON SOLO FLT FROM ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN TO MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, TO FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, AND BACK TO ANN ARBOR. PRIOR TO DEP I COMPLETED THE PREFLT CHK, HAD BOTH FUEL TANKS TOPPED OFF, AND RECHKED THE FUEL AND FILLER CAPS. THE WX WAS CLR. ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLT, APPROX 25 NM SE OF THE GRAND RAPIDS ARSA AT 4500 MSL, I CONTACTED GRAND RAPIDS APCH AND REQUESTED VFR FLT ADVISORY SVC. AT APPROX AA00Z, SEVERAL MINS LATER, I NOTICED THAT MY RADIO RECEPTION WAS UNCLR. I CALLED APCH AND ASKED FOR A RADIO CHK. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY READ ME 'LOUD AND CLR'. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WHILE IN SIGHT OF KENT COUNTY INTL ARPT, MY RADIO FAILED TO RECEIVE ANY TRANSMISSIONS. I CHKED ALL OF THE RADIO CONTROLS AND WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. THE LIGHTED NUMBERS ON THE RADIO BECAME VERY DIM AND WERE FLASHING OFF AND ON. I CONSIDERED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO RIVERVIEW ARPT, WHICH IS APPROX 13 NM NW, AS IT IS AN UNCTLED ARPT NOT REQUIRING 2-WAY RADIO COM. AT THAT TIME, I NOTED THAT MY FUEL GAUGES READ 1/4 FULL. THINKING THAT I MIGHT BE XMITTING AND NOT RECEIVING, I CALLED GRAND RAPIDS APCH AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENT TO DIVERT TO RIVERVIEW ARPT. SHORTLY AFTER DIVERTING, I NOTED THAT BOTH FUEL GAUGES READ EMPTY. WHEN I LEFT ANN ARBOR, I ESTIMATED I HAD FUEL FOR 3 HRS AND 40 MINS. AT THAT POINT, I HAD BEEN FLYING APPROX 1 1/2 HRS AND SHOULD HAVE HAD ADEQUATE FUEL. CONSIDERING THE RADIO OR ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS, I DECIDED THAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS FLT WAS DEFINITELY IN QUESTION. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE RIVERVIEW ARPT, HOWEVER I WAS STILL IN CLR VIEW OF KENT COUNTY INTL ARPT. I DECIDED THAT LNDG AT KENT COUNTY INTL WAS MY BEST OPTION. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENT TO LAND AT KENT COUNTY INTL ON THE APCH FREQ. I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE TRANSPONDER PROC DURING 2-WAY COM FAILURE. I SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND THEN SWITCHED TO 7600. I THEN THOROUGHLY LOOKED FOR TFC, THERE WAS NONE. I COULD SEE AN AIRPLANE TAKING OFF ON RWY 26L. I DSNDED INTO THE TFC PATTERN FOR A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26L AND LOOKED FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE CTL TWR. AT THAT TIME, I WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY LIGHT SIGNALS. I TURNED BASE AND THEN FINAL AND WAS STILL UNABLE TO SEE ANY LIGHT SIGNALS. I HAD LEFT MY RADIO ON THE APCH FREQ. WHILE ON FINAL, I WAS ABLE TO FAINTLY HEAR A CLRNC TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, I CLRED THE RWY AND MOVED OUT OF THE WAY, AS A LARGE JET WAS WAITING TO DEPART. I THEN RECEIVED A GREEN FLASHING LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR, AND COULD SEE A CTLR MOTIONING FOR ME TO TAXI WWARD. I PARKED AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED LANSING FSS AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN. AN ARPT SECURITY OFFICER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO DIRECT ME TO THE FBO. I CALLED FBO IN ANN ARBOR INFORMING THEM OF WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. THE CENTER SENT AN SMA Y WITH PERSONNEL TO KENT COUNTY. I WAS FLOWN BACK TO ANN ARBOR IN THE SMA Y. FBO PERSONNEL FLEW SMA X BACK TO ANN ARBOR. I CALLED THE GRAND RAPIDS TWR TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP AND TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THAT I CAUSED. I SPOKE WITH THE TWR MGR WHO STATED THAT HIS ONLY CONCERN WAS THAT I WAS ALL RIGHT. HE DID NOT INDICATE THAT ANY OF MY ACTIONS WERE INAPPROPRIATE, AND DID NOT REQUEST A WRITTEN RPT. IT WAS LATER ASCERTAINED THAT I HAD A DEFECTIVE HEADPHONE SET WHICH CAUSED THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. THE FUEL WAS ADEQUATE. I DID OBTAIN A NEW SET OF HEADPHONES AND WILL RETURN MY OLD ONES TO THE FACTORY FOR REPAIR. I ALSO PURCHASED A HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER TO USE AS A BACKUP RADIO. I NOW KNOW, IN THE EVENT OF RADIO FAILURE TO UNPLUG THE HEADPHONE SYS AND TRY THE SPEAKER. I AM MOST APPRECIATIVE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ASSISTED ME IN RETURNING SAFELY. IT IS VERY COMFORTING TO KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE GND READY AND ABLE TO HELP.

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.