Electrical power loss.

Attributes
ACN	304490
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dpk airport : isp
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny tower : isp
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	304490
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

IFR flight plan from cef direct N12 at approximately XA00 hours may/sat/95 at 6000 ft MSL. C-172 lost electrical power and communications to ZNY. No transponder. Went on communications with hand-held out of class B airspace into class C airspace and landed at isp. When I landed, I flipped my ammeter switch up and down and power came up. Communication came back up, battery was charging and took off again from isp to lakewood, nj, VFR. No problems. First indication of power failure was VOR indicator switching from to/from power, then ATC asked to recycle transponder, then communications lost. Although I never noticed looking at charging/discharging light on the panel, I think my ammeter switch of my master electrical switch might have been off and power was on battery for the first part of the trip.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL PWR LOSS.

Narrative: IFR FLT PLAN FROM CEF DIRECT N12 AT APPROX XA00 HRS MAY/SAT/95 AT 6000 FT MSL. C-172 LOST ELECTRICAL PWR AND COMS TO ZNY. NO XPONDER. WENT ON COMS WITH HAND-HELD OUT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT ISP. WHEN I LANDED, I FLIPPED MY AMMETER SWITCH UP AND DOWN AND PWR CAME UP. COM CAME BACK UP, BATTERY WAS CHARGING AND TOOK OFF AGAIN FROM ISP TO LAKEWOOD, NJ, VFR. NO PROBS. FIRST INDICATION OF PWR FAILURE WAS VOR INDICATOR SWITCHING FROM TO/FROM PWR, THEN ATC ASKED TO RECYCLE XPONDER, THEN COMS LOST. ALTHOUGH I NEVER NOTICED LOOKING AT CHARGING/DISCHARGING LIGHT ON THE PANEL, I THINK MY AMMETER SWITCH OF MY MASTER ELECTRICAL SWITCH MIGHT HAVE BEEN OFF AND PWR WAS ON BATTERY FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE TRIP.

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.