Small aircraft has electrical failure, lands with no clearance on closed but unmarked runway.

Attributes
ACN	250099
Time
Date	199308
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ttn
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 34 flight time total : 1850 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	250099
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On IFR flight plan from laf to ttn and was above the clouds with VFR conditions. Suddenly noted alternator ammeter was discharging. Notified ATC. Was able to communicate with #1 navigation/communication. Called FSS for WX at destination and it was good VFR. Proceeded to ttn. About 20 west ttn, ATC asked for descent but I saw a cloud bank ahead and since I did not want to enter IMC with declining battery power, I cancelled IFR and proceeded VFR to ttn. About 10 west of ttn I lost all electrical power. Proceeded to hand pump landing gear down. Without electrical power could not get a green down light but in this small aircraft could visually confirm both main gear were down but could not confirm nosewheel or main gear locked. Could not transmit, radios dead. At this time I was just entering ttn control zone. Could not see any traffic so landed on first available runway. This was 6000 ft long runway 6. No activity on runway. Landed on southern 1/3 of runway 6. Gear down and locked, landing uneventful. Aimed aircraft at tower looking for gun signals which I could not see since tower silhouetted against bright sky. Taxied to ramp and phoned tower. I was complemented by tower personnel but told runway was closed. Before leaving FBO, called tower again to see if they needed any more information. Talked with tower manager. She took my name, address, telephone number and certificate number. She again complemented me on the way I handled the situation but said she would have to file report since runway was closed. When I said I did not see any white 'X' on the runway I landed on, she said that the runway did not have one nor did the tower NOTAM the closing since they wanted to close/open runway 6 within 10 mins notice. When I landed, there were no workers or vehicles on the runway 6. Suggestion: consider implementing white 'X' using narrow strips of white tarp material that can be laid down and removed easily in order to notify pilots of temporary closing much like traffic cones and barriers used on hwys.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE, LANDS WITH NO CLRNC ON CLOSED BUT UNMARKED RWY.

Narrative: ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM LAF TO TTN AND WAS ABOVE THE CLOUDS WITH VFR CONDITIONS. SUDDENLY NOTED ALTERNATOR AMMETER WAS DISCHARGING. NOTIFIED ATC. WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH #1 NAV/COM. CALLED FSS FOR WX AT DEST AND IT WAS GOOD VFR. PROCEEDED TO TTN. ABOUT 20 W TTN, ATC ASKED FOR DSCNT BUT I SAW A CLOUD BANK AHEAD AND SINCE I DID NOT WANT TO ENTER IMC WITH DECLINING BATTERY PWR, I CANCELLED IFR AND PROCEEDED VFR TO TTN. ABOUT 10 W OF TTN I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. PROCEEDED TO HAND PUMP LNDG GEAR DOWN. WITHOUT ELECTRICAL PWR COULD NOT GET A GREEN DOWN LIGHT BUT IN THIS SMA COULD VISUALLY CONFIRM BOTH MAIN GEAR WERE DOWN BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM NOSEWHEEL OR MAIN GEAR LOCKED. COULD NOT XMIT, RADIOS DEAD. AT THIS TIME I WAS JUST ENTERING TTN CTL ZONE. COULD NOT SEE ANY TFC SO LANDED ON FIRST AVAILABLE RWY. THIS WAS 6000 FT LONG RWY 6. NO ACTIVITY ON RWY. LANDED ON SOUTHERN 1/3 OF RWY 6. GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, LNDG UNEVENTFUL. AIMED ACFT AT TWR LOOKING FOR GUN SIGNALS WHICH I COULD NOT SEE SINCE TWR SILHOUETTED AGAINST BRIGHT SKY. TAXIED TO RAMP AND PHONED TWR. I WAS COMPLEMENTED BY TWR PERSONNEL BUT TOLD RWY WAS CLOSED. BEFORE LEAVING FBO, CALLED TWR AGAIN TO SEE IF THEY NEEDED ANY MORE INFO. TALKED WITH TWR MGR. SHE TOOK MY NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. SHE AGAIN COMPLEMENTED ME ON THE WAY I HANDLED THE SIT BUT SAID SHE WOULD HAVE TO FILE RPT SINCE RWY WAS CLOSED. WHEN I SAID I DID NOT SEE ANY WHITE 'X' ON THE RWY I LANDED ON, SHE SAID THAT THE RWY DID NOT HAVE ONE NOR DID THE TWR NOTAM THE CLOSING SINCE THEY WANTED TO CLOSE/OPEN RWY 6 WITHIN 10 MINS NOTICE. WHEN I LANDED, THERE WERE NO WORKERS OR VEHICLES ON THE RWY 6. SUGGESTION: CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING WHITE 'X' USING NARROW STRIPS OF WHITE TARP MATERIAL THAT CAN BE LAID DOWN AND REMOVED EASILY IN ORDER TO NOTIFY PLTS OF TEMPORARY CLOSING MUCH LIKE TFC CONES AND BARRIERS USED ON HWYS.

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.