Narrative:

On a pleasure flight from sanger airport south of chicago to waukesha, wi, flight would be a dogleg of about 320 degrees entering the ord class B airspace below 3600 ft floor and later a 4000 ft floor. Closest point would be 22 mi from ord, thence between 2 controled airports (about 15 mi apart), aurora and dupage airports, then on the west side of dupage airport head north to waukesha. Left sanger, climbed to 1500 ft MSL under broken clouds and about 4 mi visibility. A few mi away they became scattered, I climbed to 3000 ft in clear and visibility unlimited. About 15 mi southeast I called dupage tower just to let them know I was there and would be passing to the southwest of their air traffic area. They didn't answer. Called again a min later, no answer. Called again about 10 mi south and they answered, but not sure what they said. I was thinking what a lousy transmitter they had. Clouds below me were now broken and I could see overcast skies with a few holes ahead. Visibility was still unlimited. I heard them call and ask me to identify which I did and I acknowledged. I then heard them say they did not receive my identify and was I some mi south of fermi lab. By now I was past that area and told them so. No answer. Now I began to get suspicious. I looked over at my alternator load meter and it appeared to not be putting out. Dupage tower called again and I acknowledged. No answer. I was now on the west side of dupage air traffic area,. Took up a 270 degree heading for 8-10 mins making sure I was outside anybody's controled airspace, then headed back southeast to that broken area, descended below the clouds and went straight back to sanger airport. At this point, I do not know how well my transponder was working while I was in ord's 30 mi veil. And I also don't know if I wandered a little close to dupage air traffic area, but I'm almost sure I didn't. Examining the airplane on the ground, we found a loose wire on the alternator and by then a dead battery. I am now going to put an alternator idiot light on the instrument panel. When I discovered the malfunction, I turned all the non essential items off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ELECTRICAL PROBS IN FLT. XPONDER INOP IN 30 MI VEIL.

Narrative: ON A PLEASURE FLT FROM SANGER ARPT S OF CHICAGO TO WAUKESHA, WI, FLT WOULD BE A DOGLEG OF ABOUT 320 DEGS ENTERING THE ORD CLASS B AIRSPACE BELOW 3600 FT FLOOR AND LATER A 4000 FT FLOOR. CLOSEST POINT WOULD BE 22 MI FROM ORD, THENCE BTWN 2 CTLED ARPTS (ABOUT 15 MI APART), AURORA AND DUPAGE ARPTS, THEN ON THE W SIDE OF DUPAGE ARPT HEAD N TO WAUKESHA. LEFT SANGER, CLBED TO 1500 FT MSL UNDER BROKEN CLOUDS AND ABOUT 4 MI VISIBILITY. A FEW MI AWAY THEY BECAME SCATTERED, I CLBED TO 3000 FT IN CLR AND VISIBILITY UNLIMITED. ABOUT 15 MI SE I CALLED DUPAGE TWR JUST TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS THERE AND WOULD BE PASSING TO THE SW OF THEIR ATA. THEY DIDN'T ANSWER. CALLED AGAIN A MIN LATER, NO ANSWER. CALLED AGAIN ABOUT 10 MI S AND THEY ANSWERED, BUT NOT SURE WHAT THEY SAID. I WAS THINKING WHAT A LOUSY XMITTER THEY HAD. CLOUDS BELOW ME WERE NOW BROKEN AND I COULD SEE OVCST SKIES WITH A FEW HOLES AHEAD. VISIBILITY WAS STILL UNLIMITED. I HEARD THEM CALL AND ASK ME TO IDENT WHICH I DID AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. I THEN HEARD THEM SAY THEY DID NOT RECEIVE MY IDENT AND WAS I SOME MI S OF FERMI LAB. BY NOW I WAS PAST THAT AREA AND TOLD THEM SO. NO ANSWER. NOW I BEGAN TO GET SUSPICIOUS. I LOOKED OVER AT MY ALTERNATOR LOAD METER AND IT APPEARED TO NOT BE PUTTING OUT. DUPAGE TWR CALLED AGAIN AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. NO ANSWER. I WAS NOW ON THE W SIDE OF DUPAGE ATA,. TOOK UP A 270 DEG HDG FOR 8-10 MINS MAKING SURE I WAS OUTSIDE ANYBODY'S CTLED AIRSPACE, THEN HEADED BACK SE TO THAT BROKEN AREA, DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUDS AND WENT STRAIGHT BACK TO SANGER ARPT. AT THIS POINT, I DO NOT KNOW HOW WELL MY XPONDER WAS WORKING WHILE I WAS IN ORD'S 30 MI VEIL. AND I ALSO DON'T KNOW IF I WANDERED A LITTLE CLOSE TO DUPAGE ATA, BUT I'M ALMOST SURE I DIDN'T. EXAMINING THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND, WE FOUND A LOOSE WIRE ON THE ALTERNATOR AND BY THEN A DEAD BATTERY. I AM NOW GOING TO PUT AN ALTERNATOR IDIOT LIGHT ON THE INST PANEL. WHEN I DISCOVERED THE MALFUNCTION, I TURNED ALL THE NON ESSENTIAL ITEMS OFF.

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.