Narrative:

I was flying solo along the shore of lake michigan, about 25 NM northeast of south bend, in, (sbn) and outside of their class C airspace, when I was told 'radar contact'. Usually, as I approach michigan city, in, (wbound) sbn will cancel radar coverage and free me to get ready to call gary tower (gyy-125.6), and about 30 NM. This magnificent clear, fresh day I crossed the west of michigan city without that call, so I called sbn to request a frequency change, but I received no response. I could hear that they were rather busy so I figured that I had just slipped off their screen. (Now I think my radio was dying/dead and they did not hear me. But on this beautiful day, why who would think of problems, no problem.) I was about 20 mi east of gyy and monitoring their frequency. A couple of pilots called in the next few mins and I listened in while marveling at the glorious day it was and enjoyed the bird's eye view of the lakeshore majestically curving around into chicago (my home town). I could see the oh so familiar skyline, ah, yes, what a day, as I droned toward gary. I usually call them 20-25 mi out to get on to their screen, but today, what's the hurry. So, finally at about 10 NM out I call gyy, no response. It was a min, someone else comes on, I call again, no response. Again, nothing. All of a sudden I could see runway 30 rushing toward me 8, 7, 6 mi out. I called again, gave a position report and asked for landing instruction, nothing. Finally, the light bulb switched on in my lullabied brain, I was not going to get any response, oh boy, and I had better do something right now. (Having been monitoring the frequency, I was aware of any traffic, there was none.) I turned north over the lake to stay clear of gyy's D space. I heard tower -- was that for me -- I miked, no response. I climbed to about 3100 to 3200 ft to stay clear of the pattern, turned to the west, flew around and away from gyy and went over to lansing, il (uncontrolled). Ion the pattern, it all became as clear as the visibility. No flaps, no electrical power. I freely admit that I was lulled into complacency by the beautiful, sunny see- forever day, and my clear communication mins earlier with sbn, and with my clear monitoring of gyy. I waited too long to take action and I possibly entered gyy's D space without a clearance. Surely to enjoy the splendor of nature from the cockpit of a small airplane is one of the joys of flying and life, but, as PIC, one must always stay vigilant for and conscious of the possibility of the unexpected. The gremlins are out to getcha even on a sunny day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS LOSS OF ELECTRICAL AND ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING SOLO ALONG THE SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN, ABOUT 25 NM NE OF SOUTH BEND, IN, (SBN) AND OUTSIDE OF THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE, WHEN I WAS TOLD 'RADAR CONTACT'. USUALLY, AS I APCH MICHIGAN CITY, IN, (WBOUND) SBN WILL CANCEL RADAR COVERAGE AND FREE ME TO GET READY TO CALL GARY TWR (GYY-125.6), AND ABOUT 30 NM. THIS MAGNIFICENT CLR, FRESH DAY I CROSSED THE W OF MICHIGAN CITY WITHOUT THAT CALL, SO I CALLED SBN TO REQUEST A FREQ CHANGE, BUT I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I COULD HEAR THAT THEY WERE RATHER BUSY SO I FIGURED THAT I HAD JUST SLIPPED OFF THEIR SCREEN. (NOW I THINK MY RADIO WAS DYING/DEAD AND THEY DID NOT HEAR ME. BUT ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY, WHY WHO WOULD THINK OF PROBS, NO PROB.) I WAS ABOUT 20 MI E OF GYY AND MONITORING THEIR FREQ. A COUPLE OF PLTS CALLED IN THE NEXT FEW MINS AND I LISTENED IN WHILE MARVELING AT THE GLORIOUS DAY IT WAS AND ENJOYED THE BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE LAKESHORE MAJESTICALLY CURVING AROUND INTO CHICAGO (MY HOME TOWN). I COULD SEE THE OH SO FAMILIAR SKYLINE, AH, YES, WHAT A DAY, AS I DRONED TOWARD GARY. I USUALLY CALL THEM 20-25 MI OUT TO GET ON TO THEIR SCREEN, BUT TODAY, WHAT'S THE HURRY. SO, FINALLY AT ABOUT 10 NM OUT I CALL GYY, NO RESPONSE. IT WAS A MIN, SOMEONE ELSE COMES ON, I CALL AGAIN, NO RESPONSE. AGAIN, NOTHING. ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULD SEE RWY 30 RUSHING TOWARD ME 8, 7, 6 MI OUT. I CALLED AGAIN, GAVE A POS RPT AND ASKED FOR LNDG INSTRUCTION, NOTHING. FINALLY, THE LIGHT BULB SWITCHED ON IN MY LULLABIED BRAIN, I WAS NOT GOING TO GET ANY RESPONSE, OH BOY, AND I HAD BETTER DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW. (HAVING BEEN MONITORING THE FREQ, I WAS AWARE OF ANY TFC, THERE WAS NONE.) I TURNED N OVER THE LAKE TO STAY CLR OF GYY'S D SPACE. I HEARD TWR -- WAS THAT FOR ME -- I MIKED, NO RESPONSE. I CLBED TO ABOUT 3100 TO 3200 FT TO STAY CLR OF THE PATTERN, TURNED TO THE W, FLEW AROUND AND AWAY FROM GYY AND WENT OVER TO LANSING, IL (UNCTLED). ION THE PATTERN, IT ALL BECAME AS CLR AS THE VISIBILITY. NO FLAPS, NO ELECTRICAL PWR. I FREELY ADMIT THAT I WAS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY BY THE BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY SEE- FOREVER DAY, AND MY CLR COM MINS EARLIER WITH SBN, AND WITH MY CLR MONITORING OF GYY. I WAITED TOO LONG TO TAKE ACTION AND I POSSIBLY ENTERED GYY'S D SPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. SURELY TO ENJOY THE SPLENDOR OF NATURE FROM THE COCKPIT OF A SMALL AIRPLANE IS ONE OF THE JOYS OF FLYING AND LIFE, BUT, AS PIC, ONE MUST ALWAYS STAY VIGILANT FOR AND CONSCIOUS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE UNEXPECTED. THE GREMLINS ARE OUT TO GETCHA EVEN ON A SUNNY DAY.

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.