Narrative:

During my return flight from camila, GA, I was cruising with VFR flight following. After flying over birmingham, al, and while passing through birmingham airspace, I noticed static over the radios, my amp never started showing discharge. I heard birmingham approach call over the radio that I had cleared their airspace and for me to contact ZME on 120.80 while attempting to reply to birmingham, my radios quit. I still had navigation ability and the vors. I could not contact memphis on the frequency though attempts were tried. Shortly after, my lights quit. I had a back- up hand held radio/navigation with me, and flash lights. Again, I attempted to contact birmingham on my previous known frequency as well as ZME, again I failed. By this time I was approximately 50 KM mi northwest of birmingham with good reception with the VOR on the hand-held to memphis and dyersburg, tn. Because of memphis class B space, I decided to bear towards dyersburg which was a known airfield to me, with much less air traffic. I elected to go direct to dyersburg instead of closer airfield because of the known field and difference in air time being approximately 10-15 mins. I also had the hand-held radio which was used for both navigation and communication on the 122.80 frequency until reaching dyersburg at which time the appropriate frequency was used. No difficulties were met in doing so. Questions come in whether good judgement was used in flying without navigational lights for the extended period of time, and should flight center have been contacted immediately. The next day I found out that a search had been conducted for me, even though no flight plan had been filed or activated, and birmingham had actually suggested to squawk 1200 and change frequency.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON NIGHT FLT LOST ELECTRICAL BUT CONTINUED FLT.

Narrative: DURING MY RETURN FLT FROM CAMILA, GA, I WAS CRUISING WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER FLYING OVER BIRMINGHAM, AL, AND WHILE PASSING THROUGH BIRMINGHAM AIRSPACE, I NOTICED STATIC OVER THE RADIOS, MY AMP NEVER STARTED SHOWING DISCHARGE. I HEARD BIRMINGHAM APCH CALL OVER THE RADIO THAT I HAD CLRED THEIR AIRSPACE AND FOR ME TO CONTACT ZME ON 120.80 WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REPLY TO BIRMINGHAM, MY RADIOS QUIT. I STILL HAD NAV ABILITY AND THE VORS. I COULD NOT CONTACT MEMPHIS ON THE FREQ THOUGH ATTEMPTS WERE TRIED. SHORTLY AFTER, MY LIGHTS QUIT. I HAD A BACK- UP HAND HELD RADIO/NAV WITH ME, AND FLASH LIGHTS. AGAIN, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT BIRMINGHAM ON MY PREVIOUS KNOWN FREQ AS WELL AS ZME, AGAIN I FAILED. BY THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 50 KM MI NW OF BIRMINGHAM WITH GOOD RECEPTION WITH THE VOR ON THE HAND-HELD TO MEMPHIS AND DYERSBURG, TN. BECAUSE OF MEMPHIS CLASS B SPACE, I DECIDED TO BEAR TOWARDS DYERSBURG WHICH WAS A KNOWN AIRFIELD TO ME, WITH MUCH LESS AIR TFC. I ELECTED TO GO DIRECT TO DYERSBURG INSTEAD OF CLOSER AIRFIELD BECAUSE OF THE KNOWN FIELD AND DIFFERENCE IN AIR TIME BEING APPROX 10-15 MINS. I ALSO HAD THE HAND-HELD RADIO WHICH WAS USED FOR BOTH NAV AND COM ON THE 122.80 FREQ UNTIL REACHING DYERSBURG AT WHICH TIME THE APPROPRIATE FREQ WAS USED. NO DIFFICULTIES WERE MET IN DOING SO. QUESTIONS COME IN WHETHER GOOD JUDGEMENT WAS USED IN FLYING WITHOUT NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, AND SHOULD FLT CTR HAVE BEEN CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND OUT THAT A SEARCH HAD BEEN CONDUCTED FOR ME, EVEN THOUGH NO FLT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED OR ACTIVATED, AND BIRMINGHAM HAD ACTUALLY SUGGESTED TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CHANGE FREQ.

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.