Narrative:

On mar/xx/95 I began my flight from alb at approximately XA30. While en route, after radar service had been terminated from alb, I began to investigate a possible electrical problem with the aircraft. Just before radar service was terminated with alb, departure advised me that my transponder was intermittent. I noticed a slight discharge on the ammeter (approximately 1 needle width). At that point I started decreasing my electrical load, by turning off lights and transponder with only turning the radio on briefly for VOR navigation check. I also tried several times to recycle the alternator by turning off the master switch. The alternator never came back on- line. My plan was to conserve my battery with hopes of having enough power left to communicate with roc approach. My alternate plan was to land at 6g3 because their runway lights work on a ground base timer and shut off at midnight. At XY40, 20 NM ese from roc, I collected ATIS and tried calling roc approach on 119.55. The radio would not transmit and it made a tone similar to a feedback sound whenever I keyed the microphone. I then diverted to 6g3 arriving at XY45. The runway lights were already off. I had a cellular phone with me in the plane that I brought in case of such an emergency. After a failed attempt of calling the tower directly, the operator transferred me to 911. They called airport fire and rescue and they relayed my request to the tower for a light gun clearance. The cellular phone battery died before I got a clearance over the phone. At that point I left my holding pattern over 6g3, ny, and attempted to find 3g7 airport with the hopes of maybe having the runway lights left on there. While en route to 3g7 I checked my fuel gauges. 10 mins earlier they read 1/2 full (both left and right) now the left tank read empty and the right just below 1/4 full. My thoughts were the low indications were due to the lack of electrical power, but I could not be totally sure. I decided to fly back towards 6g3 and then to roc. Over 6g3 I had enough battery power to make 1 call to 911 and told them to advise roc tower that I was approaching to land. As soon as I got my message through the phone battery died again. On approaching roc, I saw the runway lights for runway 28 were turned up and the fire trucks were parked along it. I received a steady green light from tower to land and I proceeded to make a safe landing on runway 28 at approximately AM30. After landing I received a flashing green light to taxi. I taxied off the runway to parking.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY PROB IN A C-150 DURING A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: ON MAR/XX/95 I BEGAN MY FLT FROM ALB AT APPROX XA30. WHILE ENRTE, AFTER RADAR SVC HAD BEEN TERMINATED FROM ALB, I BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROB WITH THE ACFT. JUST BEFORE RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED WITH ALB, DEP ADVISED ME THAT MY XPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT. I NOTICED A SLIGHT DISCHARGE ON THE AMMETER (APPROX 1 NEEDLE WIDTH). AT THAT POINT I STARTED DECREASING MY ELECTRICAL LOAD, BY TURNING OFF LIGHTS AND XPONDER WITH ONLY TURNING THE RADIO ON BRIEFLY FOR VOR NAV CHK. I ALSO TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO RECYCLE THE ALTERNATOR BY TURNING OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. THE ALTERNATOR NEVER CAME BACK ON- LINE. MY PLAN WAS TO CONSERVE MY BATTERY WITH HOPES OF HAVING ENOUGH PWR LEFT TO COMMUNICATE WITH ROC APCH. MY ALTERNATE PLAN WAS TO LAND AT 6G3 BECAUSE THEIR RWY LIGHTS WORK ON A GND BASE TIMER AND SHUT OFF AT MIDNIGHT. AT XY40, 20 NM ESE FROM ROC, I COLLECTED ATIS AND TRIED CALLING ROC APCH ON 119.55. THE RADIO WOULD NOT XMIT AND IT MADE A TONE SIMILAR TO A FEEDBACK SOUND WHENEVER I KEYED THE MIKE. I THEN DIVERTED TO 6G3 ARRIVING AT XY45. THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ALREADY OFF. I HAD A CELLULAR PHONE WITH ME IN THE PLANE THAT I BROUGHT IN CASE OF SUCH AN EMER. AFTER A FAILED ATTEMPT OF CALLING THE TWR DIRECTLY, THE OPERATOR TRANSFERRED ME TO 911. THEY CALLED ARPT FIRE AND RESCUE AND THEY RELAYED MY REQUEST TO THE TWR FOR A LIGHT GUN CLRNC. THE CELLULAR PHONE BATTERY DIED BEFORE I GOT A CLRNC OVER THE PHONE. AT THAT POINT I LEFT MY HOLDING PATTERN OVER 6G3, NY, AND ATTEMPTED TO FIND 3G7 ARPT WITH THE HOPES OF MAYBE HAVING THE RWY LIGHTS LEFT ON THERE. WHILE ENRTE TO 3G7 I CHKED MY FUEL GAUGES. 10 MINS EARLIER THEY READ 1/2 FULL (BOTH L AND R) NOW THE L TANK READ EMPTY AND THE R JUST BELOW 1/4 FULL. MY THOUGHTS WERE THE LOW INDICATIONS WERE DUE TO THE LACK OF ELECTRICAL PWR, BUT I COULD NOT BE TOTALLY SURE. I DECIDED TO FLY BACK TOWARDS 6G3 AND THEN TO ROC. OVER 6G3 I HAD ENOUGH BATTERY PWR TO MAKE 1 CALL TO 911 AND TOLD THEM TO ADVISE ROC TWR THAT I WAS APCHING TO LAND. AS SOON AS I GOT MY MESSAGE THROUGH THE PHONE BATTERY DIED AGAIN. ON APCHING ROC, I SAW THE RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 28 WERE TURNED UP AND THE FIRE TRUCKS WERE PARKED ALONG IT. I RECEIVED A STEADY GREEN LIGHT FROM TWR TO LAND AND I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG ON RWY 28 AT APPROX AM30. AFTER LNDG I RECEIVED A FLASHING GREEN LIGHT TO TAXI. I TAXIED OFF THE RWY TO PARKING.

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.