Narrative:

Checked duats at XA05 pm. Called FSS to file and get standard briefing at XB05 pm. Fueled, preflight normal, checked flaps, electrical, lights, gyroscope and fan sounds, etc. Departed bkl at approximately XC45 pm on IFR flight plan for jst, no apparent problems. Some time after turning southeast at talls intersection, a ticking in the headset started and #2 VOR reading seemed to be strange. The navigation/communication lights on the instrument panel started blinking and the communication audio level faded. At no time did I see the ammeter light. I called cle center to announce pending communication failure, cycled transponder to 7700 for 1 min, then 7600. Navigation/communication panel appeared completely dead, lighting on transponder panel was very dim. Checked circuit breakers, nothing was tripped. Only the beacon light had been in use in addition to radios turned off. Ammeter needle not reading either direction, straight up and down. Unable to raise ZOB, used hand-held to try to raise them. Maintained altitude assigned, 5000 ft MSL, and reference heading that had been holding me on course. Used VFR navigation chart to verify course by landmarks. Headed for gap in mountain ridge with jst airport in sight on far side. Called jst tower with handheld, explained lost navigation/communication on IFR flight plan, requested permission/assistance for landing. Cleared to land, left downwind runway 33. Landed safely approximately XE20 pm, called altoona FSS to verify closing IFR flight plan. I was unable to start airplane at all, battery dead. Returned to terminal to call X flight training, airplane rental. Owner asked for FBO phone number and told me to call for mechanic to repair the problem. Mr X came to airport, took plane to hangar to repair. After several hours he explained fuse under cowling above battery was problem, which he replaced with a '10' rather than the '5' and recharged battery: he said alternator was new and belt good but battery drained. He assured me the plane was repaired and safe and would get me home without further problem. He started engine, tested lights, radios, flaps, declared plane ok and safe. Called altoona FSS for standard briefing and filed IFR flight plan. Explained earlier problem to briefer, that I wanted easy to follow route home, he said to take route I intended to follow. Filed same route in reverse. Preflight normal, double checked electrical, verified lights worked, flaps, ammeter needle movement. Departed jst approximately XO50 pm, cleared to 6000 ft, requested lower, given 5000 MSL. All system appeared normal. Flew to talls approximately XH00 pm, turned west, ammeter light glowing, turned off all electrical but position lighting and beacon, radios and navigation. Just west of eared, #2 VOR appeared odd. Called ZOB to verify heading as VOR needle was acting oddly. 'ZOB nxxx a little disoriented, would like to verify heading please.' controller said she was having trouble hearing me, I was breaking up. Continued calling, finally controller said I was on a 'good heading to get to youngstown.' I switched radios to see if reception any better. Clicking, whining noise, and flashing instrument panel. I told ZOB I was losing radios, cycled transponder to squawk 7700/7600. Maintained 5000 ft, heading (310 degrees) that ATC verified would take me to youngstown as ZOB controller had last said. Conditions VFR. Uncontrolled airport came into sight, I decided that since I had no exterior lighting (an air show NOTAM existed nearby for earlier that evening), and no radio communication, that the safest choice would be to continue on course to youngstown, on heading given by controller, rather than enter uncontrolled traffic pattern unseen and unheard. Continued to attempt to raise ZOB then yng on hand-held, when mahoning valley came in sight, was able to reach to yng. Gave call sign, explained without navigation/communication/electrical. Controller very calmly talked me in, verified airport and traffic in area. Flew right base for runway 33. Landed safely. Requested taxi assistance since no lighting. Taxied to terminal building, shut down, went inside to call FSS to close flight plan. Said tower probably already had closed plan, I said I just wanted to verify and let them know I was safely on the ground. Half hour later yng tower called to say ZOB wanted my name and address to fill out paperwork and that I would probably be getting a call from them. Next morning FAA called. Asked a few questions, said I should come in to talk. I asked what I did wrong, he said, 'you got in the plane the second time.' he asked where I rented from and if it was a xyz plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON IFR ROUND ROBIN RPTR LOST ACFT ELECTRICAL AND NAV COM TWICE. ONCE ON THE OUTBOUND LEG AND AFTER GETTING THE ACFT REPAIRED LOST ELECTRICAL AND NAV COM ON THE RETURN. THE HAND-HELD PROVIDED EMER COM.

Narrative: CHKED DUATS AT XA05 PM. CALLED FSS TO FILE AND GET STANDARD BRIEFING AT XB05 PM. FUELED, PREFLT NORMAL, CHKED FLAPS, ELECTRICAL, LIGHTS, GYROSCOPE AND FAN SOUNDS, ETC. DEPARTED BKL AT APPROX XC45 PM ON IFR FLT PLAN FOR JST, NO APPARENT PROBS. SOME TIME AFTER TURNING SE AT TALLS INTXN, A TICKING IN THE HEADSET STARTED AND #2 VOR READING SEEMED TO BE STRANGE. THE NAV/COM LIGHTS ON THE INST PANEL STARTED BLINKING AND THE COM AUDIO LEVEL FADED. AT NO TIME DID I SEE THE AMMETER LIGHT. I CALLED CLE CTR TO ANNOUNCE PENDING COM FAILURE, CYCLED XPONDER TO 7700 FOR 1 MIN, THEN 7600. NAV/COM PANEL APPEARED COMPLETELY DEAD, LIGHTING ON XPONDER PANEL WAS VERY DIM. CHKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS, NOTHING WAS TRIPPED. ONLY THE BEACON LIGHT HAD BEEN IN USE IN ADDITION TO RADIOS TURNED OFF. AMMETER NEEDLE NOT READING EITHER DIRECTION, STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. UNABLE TO RAISE ZOB, USED HAND-HELD TO TRY TO RAISE THEM. MAINTAINED ALT ASSIGNED, 5000 FT MSL, AND REF HDG THAT HAD BEEN HOLDING ME ON COURSE. USED VFR NAV CHART TO VERIFY COURSE BY LANDMARKS. HEADED FOR GAP IN MOUNTAIN RIDGE WITH JST ARPT IN SIGHT ON FAR SIDE. CALLED JST TWR WITH HANDHELD, EXPLAINED LOST NAV/COM ON IFR FLT PLAN, REQUESTED PERMISSION/ASSISTANCE FOR LNDG. CLRED TO LAND, LEFT DOWNWIND RWY 33. LANDED SAFELY APPROX XE20 PM, CALLED ALTOONA FSS TO VERIFY CLOSING IFR FLT PLAN. I WAS UNABLE TO START AIRPLANE AT ALL, BATTERY DEAD. RETURNED TO TERMINAL TO CALL X FLT TRAINING, AIRPLANE RENTAL. OWNER ASKED FOR FBO PHONE NUMBER AND TOLD ME TO CALL FOR MECH TO REPAIR THE PROB. MR X CAME TO ARPT, TOOK PLANE TO HANGAR TO REPAIR. AFTER SEVERAL HRS HE EXPLAINED FUSE UNDER COWLING ABOVE BATTERY WAS PROB, WHICH HE REPLACED WITH A '10' RATHER THAN THE '5' AND RECHARGED BATTERY: HE SAID ALTERNATOR WAS NEW AND BELT GOOD BUT BATTERY DRAINED. HE ASSURED ME THE PLANE WAS REPAIRED AND SAFE AND WOULD GET ME HOME WITHOUT FURTHER PROB. HE STARTED ENG, TESTED LIGHTS, RADIOS, FLAPS, DECLARED PLANE OK AND SAFE. CALLED ALTOONA FSS FOR STANDARD BRIEFING AND FILED IFR FLT PLAN. EXPLAINED EARLIER PROB TO BRIEFER, THAT I WANTED EASY TO FOLLOW RTE HOME, HE SAID TO TAKE RTE I INTENDED TO FOLLOW. FILED SAME RTE IN REVERSE. PREFLT NORMAL, DOUBLE CHKED ELECTRICAL, VERIFIED LIGHTS WORKED, FLAPS, AMMETER NEEDLE MOVEMENT. DEPARTED JST APPROX XO50 PM, CLRED TO 6000 FT, REQUESTED LOWER, GIVEN 5000 MSL. ALL SYS APPEARED NORMAL. FLEW TO TALLS APPROX XH00 PM, TURNED W, AMMETER LIGHT GLOWING, TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL BUT POS LIGHTING AND BEACON, RADIOS AND NAV. JUST W OF EARED, #2 VOR APPEARED ODD. CALLED ZOB TO VERIFY HDG AS VOR NEEDLE WAS ACTING ODDLY. 'ZOB NXXX A LITTLE DISORIENTED, WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY HDG PLEASE.' CTLR SAID SHE WAS HAVING TROUBLE HEARING ME, I WAS BREAKING UP. CONTINUED CALLING, FINALLY CTLR SAID I WAS ON A 'GOOD HDG TO GET TO YOUNGSTOWN.' I SWITCHED RADIOS TO SEE IF RECEPTION ANY BETTER. CLICKING, WHINING NOISE, AND FLASHING INST PANEL. I TOLD ZOB I WAS LOSING RADIOS, CYCLED XPONDER TO SQUAWK 7700/7600. MAINTAINED 5000 FT, HDG (310 DEGS) THAT ATC VERIFIED WOULD TAKE ME TO YOUNGSTOWN AS ZOB CTLR HAD LAST SAID. CONDITIONS VFR. UNCTLED ARPT CAME INTO SIGHT, I DECIDED THAT SINCE I HAD NO EXTERIOR LIGHTING (AN AIR SHOW NOTAM EXISTED NEARBY FOR EARLIER THAT EVENING), AND NO RADIO COM, THAT THE SAFEST CHOICE WOULD BE TO CONTINUE ON COURSE TO YOUNGSTOWN, ON HDG GIVEN BY CTLR, RATHER THAN ENTER UNCTLED TFC PATTERN UNSEEN AND UNHEARD. CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT TO RAISE ZOB THEN YNG ON HAND-HELD, WHEN MAHONING VALLEY CAME IN SIGHT, WAS ABLE TO REACH TO YNG. GAVE CALL SIGN, EXPLAINED WITHOUT NAV/COM/ELECTRICAL. CTLR VERY CALMLY TALKED ME IN, VERIFIED ARPT AND TFC IN AREA. FLEW R BASE FOR RWY 33. LANDED SAFELY. REQUESTED TAXI ASSISTANCE SINCE NO LIGHTING. TAXIED TO TERMINAL BUILDING, SHUT DOWN, WENT INSIDE TO CALL FSS TO CLOSE FLT PLAN. SAID TWR PROBABLY ALREADY HAD CLOSED PLAN, I SAID I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY AND LET THEM KNOW I WAS SAFELY ON THE GND. HALF HR LATER YNG TWR CALLED TO SAY ZOB WANTED MY NAME AND ADDRESS TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK AND THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE GETTING A CALL FROM THEM. NEXT MORNING FAA CALLED. ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS, SAID I SHOULD COME IN TO TALK. I ASKED WHAT I DID WRONG, HE SAID, 'YOU GOT IN THE PLANE THE SECOND TIME.' HE ASKED WHERE I RENTED FROM AND IF IT WAS A XYZ PLANE.

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.