Narrative:

I departed rhv for a night flight over the south san jose area. I departed runway 31R at rhv exiting the pattern on right downwind flying at 1100 ft MSL. I spotted traffic that was on final for runway 31R at rhv and communicated with him on the radio telling my relative position to him and he did the same. I continued flying swbound staying clear of sjc's class C airspace. I was going to fly over near the foothills and then back to rhv. On the way over there, I saw the police helicopter patrol near the downtown area. About southwest of the airport (sjc) I lost visual contact with the police helicopter. I wanted to regain visual contact as to keep clear of the area that he is patrolling, because events on the ground may cause him to shift his location suddenly and extra distance would give me time to react if needed. I started a back turn to the right circling to see if I could regain visual contact. A short time after I started circling my instrument lights went off. I leveled out of my turn at the same time checking my breakers and switches. I then bumped the switch panel and the instrument lights came on then off. I then reached under the switch panel and started pushing on the wiring thinking there may be a bad connection, and the instrument lights came back on. I then realized I had lost some altitude. I added throttle and pulled up into a climb and decreased my altitude when I started to regain my altitude, at this point I was approximately sebound. As I leveled out, I got a visual on the police helicopter. He was off to my right. I then started back to rhv when I smelled burning wires. So I turned off the equipment switches and opened the vent and waited to see if the smell would go away, by then I was nearing the silver creek area and turned nwbound for a straight in landing on runway 31R, upon landing I taxied over to my tiedown.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNINTENTIONAL LOW ALT CIVIL FLT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RHV FOR A NIGHT FLT OVER THE S SAN JOSE AREA. I DEPARTED RWY 31R AT RHV EXITING THE PATTERN ON R DOWNWIND FLYING AT 1100 FT MSL. I SPOTTED TFC THAT WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 31R AT RHV AND COMMUNICATED WITH HIM ON THE RADIO TELLING MY RELATIVE POS TO HIM AND HE DID THE SAME. I CONTINUED FLYING SWBOUND STAYING CLR OF SJC'S CLASS C AIRSPACE. I WAS GOING TO FLY OVER NEAR THE FOOTHILLS AND THEN BACK TO RHV. ON THE WAY OVER THERE, I SAW THE POLICE HELI PATROL NEAR THE DOWNTOWN AREA. ABOUT SW OF THE ARPT (SJC) I LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE POLICE HELI. I WANTED TO REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT AS TO KEEP CLR OF THE AREA THAT HE IS PATROLLING, BECAUSE EVENTS ON THE GND MAY CAUSE HIM TO SHIFT HIS LOCATION SUDDENLY AND EXTRA DISTANCE WOULD GIVE ME TIME TO REACT IF NEEDED. I STARTED A BACK TURN TO THE R CIRCLING TO SEE IF I COULD REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT. A SHORT TIME AFTER I STARTED CIRCLING MY INST LIGHTS WENT OFF. I LEVELED OUT OF MY TURN AT THE SAME TIME CHKING MY BREAKERS AND SWITCHES. I THEN BUMPED THE SWITCH PANEL AND THE INST LIGHTS CAME ON THEN OFF. I THEN REACHED UNDER THE SWITCH PANEL AND STARTED PUSHING ON THE WIRING THINKING THERE MAY BE A BAD CONNECTION, AND THE INST LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. I THEN REALIZED I HAD LOST SOME ALT. I ADDED THROTTLE AND PULLED UP INTO A CLB AND DECREASED MY ALT WHEN I STARTED TO REGAIN MY ALT, AT THIS POINT I WAS APPROX SEBOUND. AS I LEVELED OUT, I GOT A VISUAL ON THE POLICE HELI. HE WAS OFF TO MY R. I THEN STARTED BACK TO RHV WHEN I SMELLED BURNING WIRES. SO I TURNED OFF THE EQUIP SWITCHES AND OPENED THE VENT AND WAITED TO SEE IF THE SMELL WOULD GO AWAY, BY THEN I WAS NEARING THE SILVER CREEK AREA AND TURNED NWBOUND FOR A STRAIGHT IN LNDG ON RWY 31R, UPON LNDG I TAXIED OVER TO MY TIEDOWN.

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.