Small aircraft has electrical failure while on an IFR flight in VMC.

Attributes
ACN	251934
Time
Date	199309
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sba
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sba artcc : zdc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing 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 : 17 flight time total : 243 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	251934
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In sum: reporter and 2 passenger were flying IFR in VMC from smo to sba. Apparent alternator failure led to low voltage condition. Lost all navigation and communication radios and had to extend landing gear manually. He tried to use a handheld radio but had trouble because it was located out of reach in the rear seat and a passenger handed it to him minus its antenna. More fumbling was leading to deeper trouble so the reporter went back to basically just flying the airplane. He started running checklists and was able to extend the gear fully and get it locked down and also to get the radios working. He then contacted ATC and landed at sba. He said it was a 'non event' but it taught him a good lesson in managing a flight when things are less than ideal. He realizes that if this had happened at night or during IMC he would have been overwhelmed and plans to prepare himself for eventualities like this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE ON AN IFR FLT IN VMC.

Narrative: IN SUM: RPTR AND 2 PAX WERE FLYING IFR IN VMC FROM SMO TO SBA. APPARENT ALTERNATOR FAILURE LED TO LOW VOLTAGE CONDITION. LOST ALL NAV AND COM RADIOS AND HAD TO EXTEND LNDG GEAR MANUALLY. HE TRIED TO USE A HANDHELD RADIO BUT HAD TROUBLE BECAUSE IT WAS LOCATED OUT OF REACH IN THE REAR SEAT AND A PAX HANDED IT TO HIM MINUS ITS ANTENNA. MORE FUMBLING WAS LEADING TO DEEPER TROUBLE SO THE RPTR WENT BACK TO BASICALLY JUST FLYING THE AIRPLANE. HE STARTED RUNNING CHKLISTS AND WAS ABLE TO EXTEND THE GEAR FULLY AND GET IT LOCKED DOWN AND ALSO TO GET THE RADIOS WORKING. HE THEN CONTACTED ATC AND LANDED AT SBA. HE SAID IT WAS A 'NON EVENT' BUT IT TAUGHT HIM A GOOD LESSON IN MANAGING A FLT WHEN THINGS ARE LESS THAN IDEAL. HE REALIZES THAT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT NIGHT OR DURING IMC HE WOULD HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED AND PLANS TO PREPARE HIMSELF FOR EVENTUALITIES LIKE THIS.

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.