Small aircraft has alternator failure, lines up with wrong airport runway.

Attributes
ACN	255273
Time
Date	199310
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bfi
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bfi
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 65
ASRS Report	255273
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On approach to boeing field, shooting the localizer (back course) runway 31L. I was radar vectored onto the localizer and cleared for the approach by seattle approach. Approach control handed me off to boeing tower at lacre intersection (7.6 DME from bfi). Bfi tower cleared me to land on runway 31L. At lacre intersection I descended from 2600 ft to 1600 ft. During the descent, in IMC conditions, I experienced an alternator failure. I started my troubleshoot procedure in an attempt to get the alternator back on line. While doing this I drifted right (east) of the localizer. I got the alternator working and at the same time broke out of the clouds. I saw the REIL lights for what I thought was boeing field and headed for them. In reality, I was going towards renton airport. At that time, boeing tower advised I was on a 2 mi final for renton and needed to turn left to intercept the localizer. I turned left and at that time went into the clouds again (my altitude was level at 1600 ft). At this time I was not comfortable with the situation and executed a missed approach procedure. I advised boeing tower I was going missed and requested instructions. They assigned a heading and altitude and handed me back to seattle approach. I requested radar vectors back to bremerton airport (my original departure point). At bremerton, I shot an ILS and was unable to break out because of fog (AWOS was reporting 100 ft ceiling and visibility 3/4 in fog). I went missed and proceeded to tacoma narrows airport and shot the ILS to a full stop landing. The WX at tacoma was much better. The problem occurred on approach at boeing field. The electrical failure caused a distraction and thus the deviation right (east) of course. I failed to tell ATC of my situation and I made the mistake of ignoring my CDI once I saw a runway. The final to runway 31 at boeing and final to runway 33 at renton do intersect at about the point of my breaking out of the clouds. I should have recognized that I was seeing renton and not able to see boeing yet because of the low visibility. The tower's recognition of the situation prevented me from landing at renton without a clearance. My mistake was heading for the wrong runway, but I believe I made the correct decision by executing a missed approach and returning to bremerton.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ALTERNATOR FAILURE, LINES UP WITH WRONG ARPT RWY.

Narrative: ON APCH TO BOEING FIELD, SHOOTING THE LOC (BACK COURSE) RWY 31L. I WAS RADAR VECTORED ONTO THE LOC AND CLRED FOR THE APCH BY SEATTLE APCH. APCH CTL HANDED ME OFF TO BOEING TWR AT LACRE INTXN (7.6 DME FROM BFI). BFI TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 31L. AT LACRE INTXN I DSNDED FROM 2600 FT TO 1600 FT. DURING THE DSCNT, IN IMC CONDITIONS, I EXPERIENCED AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE. I STARTED MY TROUBLESHOOT PROC IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE ALTERNATOR BACK ON LINE. WHILE DOING THIS I DRIFTED R (E) OF THE LOC. I GOT THE ALTERNATOR WORKING AND AT THE SAME TIME BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I SAW THE REIL LIGHTS FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS BOEING FIELD AND HEADED FOR THEM. IN REALITY, I WAS GOING TOWARDS RENTON ARPT. AT THAT TIME, BOEING TWR ADVISED I WAS ON A 2 MI FINAL FOR RENTON AND NEEDED TO TURN L TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I TURNED L AND AT THAT TIME WENT INTO THE CLOUDS AGAIN (MY ALT WAS LEVEL AT 1600 FT). AT THIS TIME I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIT AND EXECUTED A MISSED APCH PROC. I ADVISED BOEING TWR I WAS GOING MISSED AND REQUESTED INSTRUCTIONS. THEY ASSIGNED A HDG AND ALT AND HANDED ME BACK TO SEATTLE APCH. I REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS BACK TO BREMERTON ARPT (MY ORIGINAL DEP POINT). AT BREMERTON, I SHOT AN ILS AND WAS UNABLE TO BREAK OUT BECAUSE OF FOG (AWOS WAS RPTING 100 FT CEILING AND VISIBILITY 3/4 IN FOG). I WENT MISSED AND PROCEEDED TO TACOMA NARROWS ARPT AND SHOT THE ILS TO A FULL STOP LNDG. THE WX AT TACOMA WAS MUCH BETTER. THE PROB OCCURRED ON APCH AT BOEING FIELD. THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSED A DISTR AND THUS THE DEV R (E) OF COURSE. I FAILED TO TELL ATC OF MY SIT AND I MADE THE MISTAKE OF IGNORING MY CDI ONCE I SAW A RWY. THE FINAL TO RWY 31 AT BOEING AND FINAL TO RWY 33 AT RENTON DO INTERSECT AT ABOUT THE POINT OF MY BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS SEEING RENTON AND NOT ABLE TO SEE BOEING YET BECAUSE OF THE LOW VISIBILITY. THE TWR'S RECOGNITION OF THE SIT PREVENTED ME FROM LNDG AT RENTON WITHOUT A CLRNC. MY MISTAKE WAS HDG FOR THE WRONG RWY, BUT I BELIEVE I MADE THE CORRECT DECISION BY EXECUTING A MISSED APCH AND RETURNING TO BREMERTON.

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.