Narrative:

While flying VFR at 7500 ft MSL west of harrisburg VOR I noticed that the fuel gauges were indicating less than they should be. Believing I might be losing fuel, I reversed course planning to land at carlisle. Attempting to fix my position, I discovered my vors were not functional. I then decided to call harrisburg approach for vectors and discovered my radios were not functioning on any frequency including 121.5. At this point my fuel gauges were now reading 0. Having visual landmarks to harrisburg (the susquehanna river) I decided to make an emergency landing at capital city airport (at this point and throughout the rest of the event, my biggest concern was running out of fuel based on the gauge indications of 0). I changed the transponder squawk from 1200 to 7600 for approximately 1 min and then to 7700 for the rest of the flight, I then descended to approximately 2000 ft and followed the river to harrisburg where I had a visual of both harrisburg international and capital city airports. I observed no conflicting traffic and so flew a straight-in approach to runway 12 at capital city. About 2 mi out I observed a light aircraft turning off the runway onto the taxiway. I observed no other traffic or light signals from the tower so I landed, taxied to the line and shut down uneventfully. Postflt maintenance revealed that the alternator/regulator had filed leaving the electrical power only from battery. As the battery depleted, the fuel gauges gradually went down making it appear that the fuel was leaking out. Eventually all electrical equipment became inoperative. I reported this to harrisburg approach, capital city airport and cleveland FSDO. The aircraft alternator and regulator were replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL LOST ALL ELECTRICAL SYS AND LANDED AT CTLED ARPT WITHOUT LIGHTS FROM THE TWR.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING VFR AT 7500 FT MSL W OF HARRISBURG VOR I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING LESS THAN THEY SHOULD BE. BELIEVING I MIGHT BE LOSING FUEL, I REVERSED COURSE PLANNING TO LAND AT CARLISLE. ATTEMPTING TO FIX MY POS, I DISCOVERED MY VORS WERE NOT FUNCTIONAL. I THEN DECIDED TO CALL HARRISBURG APCH FOR VECTORS AND DISCOVERED MY RADIOS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING ON ANY FREQ INCLUDING 121.5. AT THIS POINT MY FUEL GAUGES WERE NOW READING 0. HAVING VISUAL LANDMARKS TO HARRISBURG (THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER) I DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG AT CAPITAL CITY ARPT (AT THIS POINT AND THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE EVENT, MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL BASED ON THE GAUGE INDICATIONS OF 0). I CHANGED THE XPONDER SQUAWK FROM 1200 TO 7600 FOR APPROX 1 MIN AND THEN TO 7700 FOR THE REST OF THE FLT, I THEN DSNDED TO APPROX 2000 FT AND FOLLOWED THE RIVER TO HARRISBURG WHERE I HAD A VISUAL OF BOTH HARRISBURG INTL AND CAPITAL CITY ARPTS. I OBSERVED NO CONFLICTING TFC AND SO FLEW A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 12 AT CAPITAL CITY. ABOUT 2 MI OUT I OBSERVED A LIGHT ACFT TURNING OFF THE RWY ONTO THE TXWY. I OBSERVED NO OTHER TFC OR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR SO I LANDED, TAXIED TO THE LINE AND SHUT DOWN UNEVENTFULLY. POSTFLT MAINT REVEALED THAT THE ALTERNATOR/REGULATOR HAD FILED LEAVING THE ELECTRICAL PWR ONLY FROM BATTERY. AS THE BATTERY DEPLETED, THE FUEL GAUGES GRADUALLY WENT DOWN MAKING IT APPEAR THAT THE FUEL WAS LEAKING OUT. EVENTUALLY ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP BECAME INOP. I RPTED THIS TO HARRISBURG APCH, CAPITAL CITY ARPT AND CLEVELAND FSDO. THE ACFT ALTERNATOR AND REGULATOR WERE REPLACED.

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.