Small aircraft is given a flight assist by aid tower after the electrical system fails.

Attributes
ACN	259782
Time
Date	199312
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mie
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid tower : mie tower : aid artcc : zny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 480 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	259782
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Over muncie, in, VOR, VFR LORAN turned itself off. Communication radios became intermittent and navigation radios red flagged! I promptly informed ZID of complete electrical failure. I could not hear intelligible reply from ZID. I called muncie tower. Muncie asked my intentions. I told them I would like to land muncie. Heard muncie hold other traffic as muncie became unintelligible. I retrieved handheld navigation/communication and turned in muncie tower again. Muncie tower and anderson tower were both transmitting to me on muncie tower. Anderson tower told me they had me near anderson airport! With 3 plus mi visibility, I descended from 4000 ft MSL to 2000 ft MSL to find anderson airport. As I descended I got a WAC chart of area and was given a vector to anderson airport by anderson tower. Because of 3-5 inches of fresh snow, I was unable to distinguish the airport until I recognized snow covered buildings as hangars. I was cleared to land and landed without incident. The aircraft's generator system is about to be replaced with an stc'ed alternator system, if available. VFR navigational charts will be more accessible during IFR flts. Handheld navigation/communication will be more accessible during IFR flts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA IS GIVEN A FLT ASSIST BY AID TWR AFTER THE ELECTRICAL SYS FAILS.

Narrative: OVER MUNCIE, IN, VOR, VFR LORAN TURNED ITSELF OFF. COM RADIOS BECAME INTERMITTENT AND NAV RADIOS RED FLAGGED! I PROMPTLY INFORMED ZID OF COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I COULD NOT HEAR INTELLIGIBLE REPLY FROM ZID. I CALLED MUNCIE TWR. MUNCIE ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD THEM I WOULD LIKE TO LAND MUNCIE. HEARD MUNCIE HOLD OTHER TFC AS MUNCIE BECAME UNINTELLIGIBLE. I RETRIEVED HANDHELD NAV/COM AND TURNED IN MUNCIE TWR AGAIN. MUNCIE TWR AND ANDERSON TWR WERE BOTH XMITTING TO ME ON MUNCIE TWR. ANDERSON TWR TOLD ME THEY HAD ME NEAR ANDERSON ARPT! WITH 3 PLUS MI VISIBILITY, I DSNDED FROM 4000 FT MSL TO 2000 FT MSL TO FIND ANDERSON ARPT. AS I DSNDED I GOT A WAC CHART OF AREA AND WAS GIVEN A VECTOR TO ANDERSON ARPT BY ANDERSON TWR. BECAUSE OF 3-5 INCHES OF FRESH SNOW, I WAS UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE ARPT UNTIL I RECOGNIZED SNOW COVERED BUILDINGS AS HANGARS. I WAS CLRED TO LAND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ACFT'S GENERATOR SYS IS ABOUT TO BE REPLACED WITH AN STC'ED ALTERNATOR SYS, IF AVAILABLE. VFR NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS WILL BE MORE ACCESSIBLE DURING IFR FLTS. HANDHELD NAV/COM WILL BE MORE ACCESSIBLE DURING IFR FLTS.

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.