Aircraft equipment problem compounded by terminal area WX for a c- 182 pilot.

Attributes
ACN	280950
Time
Date	199408
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : c75
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : circling
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	280950
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Reporter was in a C-182 at 8500 ft en route to C75, il, on a VFR flight plan. There was a 'thud, thud' noise and that is when he noticed the alternator was off line. His destination airport, just 10 mins away was the closest charted airport so he continued to destination. The uni operator gave the WX report of 1/8TH of a mi and intimated he might get in. Reporter went through a number of maneuvers in various approachs to various runways and finally landed on runway 31, after circling in about 1 1/4 mi visibility conditions, landing on a runway that was partly covered with fog, cloud tops had been about 350 ft. The uni operator had suggested, as an alternate plan, to use 'varna, 10 mi east with rla available.' reporter states that his decision to land in the fog was based upon that phraseology that he couldn't interpretation and his aircraft's condition and lowering battery power. Turns out the uni operator is also an FAA inspector, who later said he wouldn't violate him...reporter is upset because the chart that had the 'vla' is not published except in illinois, being a 2000 ft grass strip. (Rla means restr landing area.) reporter wants the local airport operators to realize that transient pilots may not know their 'slang terms,' wants the 'rla' type grass emergency airports charted on NOAA charts, not state printed charts. He also reported the fact that he had failed to tell the uni operator of his equipment situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB COMPOUNDED BY TERMINAL AREA WX FOR A C- 182 PLT.

Narrative: RPTR WAS IN A C-182 AT 8500 FT ENRTE TO C75, IL, ON A VFR FLT PLAN. THERE WAS A 'THUD, THUD' NOISE AND THAT IS WHEN HE NOTICED THE ALTERNATOR WAS OFF LINE. HIS DEST ARPT, JUST 10 MINS AWAY WAS THE CLOSEST CHARTED ARPT SO HE CONTINUED TO DEST. THE UNI OPERATOR GAVE THE WX RPT OF 1/8TH OF A MI AND INTIMATED HE MIGHT GET IN. RPTR WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF MANEUVERS IN VARIOUS APCHS TO VARIOUS RWYS AND FINALLY LANDED ON RWY 31, AFTER CIRCLING IN ABOUT 1 1/4 MI VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, LNDG ON A RWY THAT WAS PARTLY COVERED WITH FOG, CLOUD TOPS HAD BEEN ABOUT 350 FT. THE UNI OPERATOR HAD SUGGESTED, AS AN ALTERNATE PLAN, TO USE 'VARNA, 10 MI E WITH RLA AVAILABLE.' RPTR STATES THAT HIS DECISION TO LAND IN THE FOG WAS BASED UPON THAT PHRASEOLOGY THAT HE COULDN'T INTERP AND HIS ACFT'S CONDITION AND LOWERING BATTERY PWR. TURNS OUT THE UNI OPERATOR IS ALSO AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO LATER SAID HE WOULDN'T VIOLATE HIM...RPTR IS UPSET BECAUSE THE CHART THAT HAD THE 'VLA' IS NOT PUBLISHED EXCEPT IN ILLINOIS, BEING A 2000 FT GRASS STRIP. (RLA MEANS RESTR LNDG AREA.) RPTR WANTS THE LCL ARPT OPERATORS TO REALIZE THAT TRANSIENT PLTS MAY NOT KNOW THEIR 'SLANG TERMS,' WANTS THE 'RLA' TYPE GRASS EMER ARPTS CHARTED ON NOAA CHARTS, NOT STATE PRINTED CHARTS. HE ALSO RPTED THE FACT THAT HE HAD FAILED TO TELL THE UNI OPERATOR OF HIS EQUIP SIT.

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.