Small aircraft has electrical failure in IMC. Able to receive, finds clearing, descends to land.

Attributes
ACN	220737
Time
Date	199209
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mop
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lan
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 238 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	220737
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Both VOR flags were showing off causing me to believe station passage. ZMP asked me to change to saginaw approach. I called 3 times in 10 mins and received equipment off. VOR flags came to life and I contacted saginaw approach I was handed off shortly to lansing approach where I made my first call and they replied as normal. VOR flags went off again so I turned off navigation/communication #2 and got the flags back. 5 mins later flags were off so I was found to turn the transponder off in order to navigation and communication. I was at 6000 ft MSL above the tops of the lowest layer. Now I heard lan approach all and I couldn't reply. They then asked a twin above (which I saw) to try me and he did. I told him that I was hearing the tower. The twin could understand me but thought he heard me say I understood the tower. 20 mins past, and I had heard nothing. I was still heading south on the 360 degree radial of the lan VOR when there was a small hole in the solid layer from which I could see the ground. I maintained VFR down to the bottom of the cloud base at 2400 MSL. I figured I was close to final destination of grand ledge, mi, so I headed to the closest city. It was st johns, mi, which is 15 mi from my destination. Now lan approach called and asked me to head 180 degree or 90 degree can't remember the first heading, if I could hear but not transmit. I followed their instructions including maintaining 2500 MSL which put me back in IMC which I shouldn't have done, but I did. After that they asked me to head 240 degree if I could shoot the 10R ILS. I could. They said to turn to 300 degree if I had worse problems or stay at 240 degree if just radios. He headed me south in preparation for the turn to shoot the ILS when I lost navigation/communication. Now unable to shoot the approach I worked below and saw my destination field. I circled, landed, and then called lan FSS to cancel IFR flight plan and then called the tower. They understood the problem and thanked me for the call. 2 major errors on my part. Going back into IMC after being in VFR, and I never recycled the master/alternator switch. I will next time!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN IMC. ABLE TO RECEIVE, FINDS CLRING, DSNDS TO LAND.

Narrative: BOTH VOR FLAGS WERE SHOWING OFF CAUSING ME TO BELIEVE STATION PASSAGE. ZMP ASKED ME TO CHANGE TO SAGINAW APCH. I CALLED 3 TIMES IN 10 MINS AND RECEIVED EQUIP OFF. VOR FLAGS CAME TO LIFE AND I CONTACTED SAGINAW APCH I WAS HANDED OFF SHORTLY TO LANSING APCH WHERE I MADE MY FIRST CALL AND THEY REPLIED AS NORMAL. VOR FLAGS WENT OFF AGAIN SO I TURNED OFF NAV/COM #2 AND GOT THE FLAGS BACK. 5 MINS LATER FLAGS WERE OFF SO I WAS FOUND TO TURN THE TRANSPONDER OFF IN ORDER TO NAV AND COM. I WAS AT 6000 FT MSL ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE LOWEST LAYER. NOW I HEARD LAN APCH ALL AND I COULDN'T REPLY. THEY THEN ASKED A TWIN ABOVE (WHICH I SAW) TO TRY ME AND HE DID. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS HEARING THE TWR. THE TWIN COULD UNDERSTAND ME BUT THOUGHT HE HEARD ME SAY I UNDERSTOOD THE TWR. 20 MINS PAST, AND I HAD HEARD NOTHING. I WAS STILL HDG S ON THE 360 DEG RADIAL OF THE LAN VOR WHEN THERE WAS A SMALL HOLE IN THE SOLID LAYER FROM WHICH I COULD SEE THE GND. I MAINTAINED VFR DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUD BASE AT 2400 MSL. I FIGURED I WAS CLOSE TO FINAL DEST OF GRAND LEDGE, MI, SO I HEADED TO THE CLOSEST CITY. IT WAS ST JOHNS, MI, WHICH IS 15 MI FROM MY DEST. NOW LAN APCH CALLED AND ASKED ME TO HEAD 180 DEG OR 90 DEG CAN'T REMEMBER THE FIRST HDG, IF I COULD HEAR BUT NOT XMIT. I FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDING MAINTAINING 2500 MSL WHICH PUT ME BACK IN IMC WHICH I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE, BUT I DID. AFTER THAT THEY ASKED ME TO HEAD 240 DEG IF I COULD SHOOT THE 10R ILS. I COULD. THEY SAID TO TURN TO 300 DEG IF I HAD WORSE PROBLEMS OR STAY AT 240 DEG IF JUST RADIOS. HE HEADED ME S IN PREPARATION FOR THE TURN TO SHOOT THE ILS WHEN I LOST NAV/COM. NOW UNABLE TO SHOOT THE APCH I WORKED BELOW AND SAW MY DEST FIELD. I CIRCLED, LANDED, AND THEN CALLED LAN FSS TO CANCEL IFR FLT PLAN AND THEN CALLED THE TWR. THEY UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM AND THANKED ME FOR THE CALL. 2 MAJOR ERRORS ON MY PART. GOING BACK INTO IMC AFTER BEING IN VFR, AND I NEVER RECYCLED THE MASTER/ALTERNATOR SWITCH. I WILL NEXT TIME!

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.