Private pilot on a night flight loses the electrical system resulting in a norad landing.

Attributes
ACN	277525
Time
Date	199407
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grb
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : grb
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 102 flight time type : 76
ASRS Report	277525
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During a scenic flight in the green bay area, was outbound from orb VOR to seymour, then planned to return to land at grb, was instructed by ATC to report 4 mi final. Upon turning inbound for grb, electrical power was lost. Flew to grb VOR and then direct to grb. 1 mi from green bay, turned off all non critical electrical items, heard ATC advise of aircraft with emergency, transponder code of 7700 for 1 min and then 7600 after, repeated procedure twice, believed transponder was not operable. Turned back to VOR, was able to hear ATC advise that I was cleared to land runway 18 or runway 12. I turned and entered a 45 degree left downwind for runway 12. ATC was not able to hear my xmissions. I flew normal traffic pattern and landed runway 12. Air rescue fire fighters (arff) vehicles were present upon landing. While flying to grb from the VOR for the first time and reaching 1 mi from grb, I flashed whatever landing light that I had to notify tower of situation. I did not observe any light gun signals while in the airport area (airborne) or while on the ground. Was escorted to parking by air rescue fire fighters vehicles and then taken to file a report.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT ON A NIGHT FLT LOSES THE ELECTRICAL SYS RESULTING IN A NORAD LNDG.

Narrative: DURING A SCENIC FLT IN THE GREEN BAY AREA, WAS OUTBOUND FROM ORB VOR TO SEYMOUR, THEN PLANNED TO RETURN TO LAND AT GRB, WAS INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO RPT 4 MI FINAL. UPON TURNING INBOUND FOR GRB, ELECTRICAL PWR WAS LOST. FLEW TO GRB VOR AND THEN DIRECT TO GRB. 1 MI FROM GREEN BAY, TURNED OFF ALL NON CRITICAL ELECTRICAL ITEMS, HEARD ATC ADVISE OF ACFT WITH EMER, XPONDER CODE OF 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND THEN 7600 AFTER, REPEATED PROC TWICE, BELIEVED XPONDER WAS NOT OPERABLE. TURNED BACK TO VOR, WAS ABLE TO HEAR ATC ADVISE THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 18 OR RWY 12. I TURNED AND ENTERED A 45 DEG L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12. ATC WAS NOT ABLE TO HEAR MY XMISSIONS. I FLEW NORMAL TFC PATTERN AND LANDED RWY 12. AIR RESCUE FIRE FIGHTERS (ARFF) VEHICLES WERE PRESENT UPON LNDG. WHILE FLYING TO GRB FROM THE VOR FOR THE FIRST TIME AND REACHING 1 MI FROM GRB, I FLASHED WHATEVER LNDG LIGHT THAT I HAD TO NOTIFY TWR OF SIT. I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY LIGHT GUN SIGNALS WHILE IN THE ARPT AREA (AIRBORNE) OR WHILE ON THE GND. WAS ESCORTED TO PARKING BY AIR RESCUE FIRE FIGHTERS VEHICLES AND THEN TAKEN TO FILE A RPT.

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.