Aircraft equipment problem. Electrical failure with lost communication.

Attributes
ACN	316648
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : x60
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx artcc : slc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 550 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	316648
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I fly skydivers for X. On the date specified half way through flight I experienced a partial electrical failure. I could hear ZJX calling my aircraft but was unable to transmit. After several attempts ZJX asked another aircraft to call me on unicom. I switched to unicom, could hear the aircraft but was unable to transmit. The company has a LOA with the FAA to notify center prior to 'jumpers away.' by the time I could descend I had a total electrical failure due to a faulty voltage regulator. When I landed, I was advised that ZJX called the office to discuss the situation with the owner of the company. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the electrical failure, caused by a faulty voltage regulator, resulted in the lost communication. Reporter was unable to transmit, but sent the jumpers out anyway, which was contrary to the agreement between reporter's company and ZJX. Reporter says that after landing, ZJX had called her company, but only to verify that her aircraft had landed safely. No further action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH LOST COM.

Narrative: I FLY SKYDIVERS FOR X. ON THE DATE SPECIFIED HALF WAY THROUGH FLT I EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I COULD HEAR ZJX CALLING MY ACFT BUT WAS UNABLE TO XMIT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS ZJX ASKED ANOTHER ACFT TO CALL ME ON UNICOM. I SWITCHED TO UNICOM, COULD HEAR THE ACFT BUT WAS UNABLE TO XMIT. THE COMPANY HAS A LOA WITH THE FAA TO NOTIFY CTR PRIOR TO 'JUMPERS AWAY.' BY THE TIME I COULD DSND I HAD A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE DUE TO A FAULTY VOLTAGE REGULATOR. WHEN I LANDED, I WAS ADVISED THAT ZJX CALLED THE OFFICE TO DISCUSS THE SIT WITH THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE, CAUSED BY A FAULTY VOLTAGE REGULATOR, RESULTED IN THE LOST COM. RPTR WAS UNABLE TO XMIT, BUT SENT THE JUMPERS OUT ANYWAY, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO THE AGREEMENT BTWN RPTR'S COMPANY AND ZJX. RPTR SAYS THAT AFTER LNDG, ZJX HAD CALLED HER COMPANY, BUT ONLY TO VERIFY THAT HER ACFT HAD LANDED SAFELY. NO FURTHER ACTION.

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.