Narrative:

While en route from tulsa to evansville, in, in VFR conditions in our small aircraft, I experienced a full electrical failure due to, I later found out, a break in the alternator field wire. By the time I became aware of the problem, I had lost communication and autoplt and transponder. Through power conservation I maintained VOR navigation for another 45 mins, but that eventually went dead as well. I selected paducah, ky, barkley regional airport as offering the best options for a safe landing -- low traffic levels and repair facility. Although local WX conditions were good (scattered clouds, visibility 8-10 mi) I was very concerned about the possibility of convective activity (missouri had level 5 thunderstorms) and was eager to get the flight on the ground. I arrived over pah at about 6000 ft and proceeded to descend in a traffic pattern for runway 22, which I determined was the likely active runway. I maneuvered vigorously with wing wags in an attempt to draw attention to myself. In all, I made 4 circuits of the pattern and I descended to pattern altitude of 1200 ft MSL. Throughout, I looked for light signals from the tower and saw none. I established an extended downwind while I manually extended the gear (hard work). I turned final. Still not seeing any light signals (red or green), I concluded the tower was unmanned on the wkends. I made a no flaps approach and landed without incident. Throughout, I saw no other traffic. Although it appears that I stretched the regulations by landing without a light signal, I considered myself in an emergency situation. I took every measure to be seen, to make my intentions clear, to avoid conflicting traffic. I sincerely believed the tower to have been unmanned or at least inattentive.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL FAILURE. PLT MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WITH NO TWR CONTACT.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM TULSA TO EVANSVILLE, IN, IN VFR CONDITIONS IN OUR SMA, I EXPERIENCED A FULL ELECTRICAL FAILURE DUE TO, I LATER FOUND OUT, A BREAK IN THE ALTERNATOR FIELD WIRE. BY THE TIME I BECAME AWARE OF THE PROB, I HAD LOST COM AND AUTOPLT AND XPONDER. THROUGH PWR CONSERVATION I MAINTAINED VOR NAV FOR ANOTHER 45 MINS, BUT THAT EVENTUALLY WENT DEAD AS WELL. I SELECTED PADUCAH, KY, BARKLEY REGIONAL ARPT AS OFFERING THE BEST OPTIONS FOR A SAFE LNDG -- LOW TFC LEVELS AND REPAIR FACILITY. ALTHOUGH LCL WX CONDITIONS WERE GOOD (SCATTERED CLOUDS, VISIBILITY 8-10 MI) I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY (MISSOURI HAD LEVEL 5 TSTMS) AND WAS EAGER TO GET THE FLT ON THE GND. I ARRIVED OVER PAH AT ABOUT 6000 FT AND PROCEEDED TO DSND IN A TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 22, WHICH I DETERMINED WAS THE LIKELY ACTIVE RWY. I MANEUVERED VIGOROUSLY WITH WING WAGS IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRAW ATTN TO MYSELF. IN ALL, I MADE 4 CIRCUITS OF THE PATTERN AND I DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT OF 1200 FT MSL. THROUGHOUT, I LOOKED FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR AND SAW NONE. I ESTABLISHED AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND WHILE I MANUALLY EXTENDED THE GEAR (HARD WORK). I TURNED FINAL. STILL NOT SEEING ANY LIGHT SIGNALS (RED OR GREEN), I CONCLUDED THE TWR WAS UNMANNED ON THE WKENDS. I MADE A NO FLAPS APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THROUGHOUT, I SAW NO OTHER TFC. ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS THAT I STRETCHED THE REGS BY LNDG WITHOUT A LIGHT SIGNAL, I CONSIDERED MYSELF IN AN EMER SIT. I TOOK EVERY MEASURE TO BE SEEN, TO MAKE MY INTENTIONS CLR, TO AVOID CONFLICTING TFC. I SINCERELY BELIEVED THE TWR TO HAVE BEEN UNMANNED OR AT LEAST INATTENTIVE.

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.