Pilot of an small aircraft aircraft lost all radio communication navigation due to a total loss of t...

Attributes
ACN	226759
Time
Date	199211
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dkb
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 253 flight time type : 57
ASRS Report	226759
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was in cruise en route from st louis to milwaukee in solid IMC. Center informed me they had lost my transponder. I attempted to respond. They called me again. I attempted to respond twice more. Realizing radio problems, I attempted to call on communication 2 several times with no response. From there, I called on the other center frequencys while changing my transponder to emergency and following standard loss of communication procedures for IFR flight. Then I attempted to call on 121.5 with no response. Realizing and accepting the loss of radios, I started to troubleshoot in depth, breakers cycled, ie, the checklist, etc. Realizing I had no form of electrical power, I had lost all forms of navigation, knowing I had 2 hours of fuel left on board, and the nearest possible VFR was much further north (my WX briefings (2) paid off). I chose to descend to the MEA/lowest sector altitude (sectional chart) for my approximately position. Upon reaching I received some ground contact, yet still mainly covered by clouds, I descended lower. Before I did this, I turned my ELT on in case of a crash, it would be operating for sure. It was remotely operated. Descending further, I broke out, finding a nice stretch of country gravel road. Unsure of my exact location, I checked for wires, fences cars, etc, and made an uneventful and safe approach and landing. There was no damage to the plane or property, and no injuries. I notified FSS, the police, and the FBO from which the plane was rented. The FBO, later that day, flew it out after repairs. The plane, an small aircraft, had no alternator warning light and no ammeter. All it had was a load indicator. The load indicator failed to move till after the battery had been drawn dead. This I feel is the weak point. Should the plane have been equipped with an ammeter for the alternator would have warned me in time to make a landing at the nearest suitable airport under battery power. The other thing is not flying single engine IFR under such an extensive area of IMC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA ACFT LOST ALL RADIO COM NAV DUE TO A TOTAL LOSS OF THE ACFT ELECTRICAL SYS DURING AN IFR FLT IN IMC CAUSING THE PLT TO MAKE A FORCED LNDG ON A ROAD.

Narrative: I WAS IN CRUISE ENRTE FROM ST LOUIS TO MILWAUKEE IN SOLID IMC. CTR INFORMED ME THEY HAD LOST MY TRANSPONDER. I ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND. THEY CALLED ME AGAIN. I ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND TWICE MORE. REALIZING RADIO PROBLEMS, I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ON COM 2 SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. FROM THERE, I CALLED ON THE OTHER CTR FREQS WHILE CHANGING MY TRANSPONDER TO EMER AND FOLLOWING STANDARD LOSS OF COM PROCS FOR IFR FLT. THEN I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ON 121.5 WITH NO RESPONSE. REALIZING AND ACCEPTING THE LOSS OF RADIOS, I STARTED TO TROUBLESHOOT IN DEPTH, BREAKERS CYCLED, IE, THE CHKLIST, ETC. REALIZING I HAD NO FORM OF ELECTRICAL PWR, I HAD LOST ALL FORMS OF NAV, KNOWING I HAD 2 HRS OF FUEL LEFT ON BOARD, AND THE NEAREST POSSIBLE VFR WAS MUCH FURTHER N (MY WX BRIEFINGS (2) PAID OFF). I CHOSE TO DSND TO THE MEA/LOWEST SECTOR ALT (SECTIONAL CHART) FOR MY APPROX POS. UPON REACHING I RECEIVED SOME GND CONTACT, YET STILL MAINLY COVERED BY CLOUDS, I DSNDED LOWER. BEFORE I DID THIS, I TURNED MY ELT ON IN CASE OF A CRASH, IT WOULD BE OPERATING FOR SURE. IT WAS REMOTELY OPERATED. DSNDING FURTHER, I BROKE OUT, FINDING A NICE STRETCH OF COUNTRY GRAVEL ROAD. UNSURE OF MY EXACT LOCATION, I CHKED FOR WIRES, FENCES CARS, ETC, AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL AND SAFE APCH AND LNDG. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE OR PROPERTY, AND NO INJURIES. I NOTIFIED FSS, THE POLICE, AND THE FBO FROM WHICH THE PLANE WAS RENTED. THE FBO, LATER THAT DAY, FLEW IT OUT AFTER REPAIRS. THE PLANE, AN SMA, HAD NO ALTERNATOR WARNING LIGHT AND NO AMMETER. ALL IT HAD WAS A LOAD INDICATOR. THE LOAD INDICATOR FAILED TO MOVE TILL AFTER THE BATTERY HAD BEEN DRAWN DEAD. THIS I FEEL IS THE WEAK POINT. SHOULD THE PLANE HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH AN AMMETER FOR THE ALTERNATOR WOULD HAVE WARNED ME IN TIME TO MAKE A LNDG AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT UNDER BATTERY PWR. THE OTHER THING IS NOT FLYING SINGLE ENG IFR UNDER SUCH AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF IMC.

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.

Pilot of an small aircraft aircraft lost all radio communication navigation due to a total loss of the aircraft electrical system during an IFR flight in IMC causing the pilot to make a forced landing on a road.