Primary electrical power supply problem in IMC.

Attributes
ACN	216328
Time
Date	199207
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lrp
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : muha
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	approach : contact enroute airway : phl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	216328
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Was on IFR flight plan from agc to ilg. When I was turned over to philadelphia approach, I was informed that they were no longer receiving my transponder. I recycled the transponder and lost power to the transponder. I advised philadelphia and was told to proceed direct to modena VOR. About 10 seconds later (before I could reply to ATC) my aircraft experienced total radio/navigation failure. I climbed from 5000 ft MSL to 11000 ft MSL because I was VMC at 11000 ft around harrisburg. I turned the aircraft to a heading of 310 degrees and broke out into VMC approximately 20 mins later. I then managed to spiral through a break in the overcast over a 4 lane highway. Flying at approximately 400-500 ft AGL I proceeded to a large town. After making several passes of the town, saw a factory (york paper factory) then, looking at the sectional, determined that the airport was southwest of the city. I located the airport and landed without any further incident. I immediately contacted harrisburg approach by telephone advised them of my situation. I then had a mechanic from FBO look at the airplane. The mechanic found that an output wire from the alternator had broken. The mechanic fixed the wire and we ran the airplane to check it's condition. Finding that the airplane was now fixed, I refiled an IFR flight plan from thv to N80. We arrived at N80 without any further problems. I am now looking into hand held transceivers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIMARY ELECTRICAL PWR SUPPLY PROBLEM IN IMC.

Narrative: WAS ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM AGC TO ILG. WHEN I WAS TURNED OVER TO PHILADELPHIA APCH, I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY TRANSPONDER. I RECYCLED THE TRANSPONDER AND LOST PWR TO THE TRANSPONDER. I ADVISED PHILADELPHIA AND WAS TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT TO MODENA VOR. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER (BEFORE I COULD REPLY TO ATC) MY ACFT EXPERIENCED TOTAL RADIO/NAV FAILURE. I CLBED FROM 5000 FT MSL TO 11000 FT MSL BECAUSE I WAS VMC AT 11000 FT AROUND HARRISBURG. I TURNED THE ACFT TO A HDG OF 310 DEGS AND BROKE OUT INTO VMC APPROX 20 MINS LATER. I THEN MANAGED TO SPIRAL THROUGH A BREAK IN THE OVCST OVER A 4 LANE HWY. FLYING AT APPROX 400-500 FT AGL I PROCEEDED TO A LARGE TOWN. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL PASSES OF THE TOWN, SAW A FACTORY (YORK PAPER FACTORY) THEN, LOOKING AT THE SECTIONAL, DETERMINED THAT THE ARPT WAS SW OF THE CITY. I LOCATED THE ARPT AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED HARRISBURG APCH BY TELEPHONE ADVISED THEM OF MY SITUATION. I THEN HAD A MECH FROM FBO LOOK AT THE AIRPLANE. THE MECH FOUND THAT AN OUTPUT WIRE FROM THE ALTERNATOR HAD BROKEN. THE MECH FIXED THE WIRE AND WE RAN THE AIRPLANE TO CHK IT'S CONDITION. FINDING THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOW FIXED, I REFILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM THV TO N80. WE ARRIVED AT N80 WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS. I AM NOW LOOKING INTO HAND HELD TRANSCEIVERS.

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.