Small aircraft on IFR flight plan has electrical failure. Remains VFR descends to land.

Attributes
ACN	230151
Time
Date	199212
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	230151
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

My passenger and I were on an IFR flight plan and had just reached cruise flight when our radios failed. At this point, I realized we had no battery power. Both alternators were OTS. I knew the cloud cover broke up east of metropolitan so I flew out of the TCA, descended through a hole to VFR, landed and called the radar room. My mechanics have not yet determined the cause of failure of both alternator circuits. My failure in this case was to not scan the circuit breakers. (The rear alternator breaker had actuated.) I may have been able to reestablish communication. A hand held radio would have been useful to the controller. He could have then given me vectors to VFR. Fortunately, VFR WX was close by.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. REMAINS VFR DSNDS TO LAND.

Narrative: MY PAX AND I WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND HAD JUST REACHED CRUISE FLT WHEN OUR RADIOS FAILED. AT THIS POINT, I REALIZED WE HAD NO BATTERY PWR. BOTH ALTERNATORS WERE OTS. I KNEW THE CLOUD COVER BROKE UP E OF METRO SO I FLEW OUT OF THE TCA, DSNDED THROUGH A HOLE TO VFR, LANDED AND CALLED THE RADAR ROOM. MY MECHS HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF FAILURE OF BOTH ALTERNATOR CIRCUITS. MY FAILURE IN THIS CASE WAS TO NOT SCAN THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. (THE REAR ALTERNATOR BREAKER HAD ACTUATED.) I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REESTABLISH COM. A HAND HELD RADIO WOULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL TO THE CTLR. HE COULD HAVE THEN GIVEN ME VECTORS TO VFR. FORTUNATELY, VFR WX WAS CLOSE BY.

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.