Aircraft equipment problem. Generator circuit breaker popped and reporter pilot lost flight informat...

Attributes
ACN	338532
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msn
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msn tower : sju
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 27 flight time total : 866 flight time type : 27
ASRS Report	338532
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We were en route to madison, wi, (IFR) from egv, wi, to situation out (planned) low ceilings in all chicago area airports. Our final destination was ugn, il. All airports along the lake and near west were 100 ft fog. The situation occurred while on approach to msn. We had just been switched over from ZAU to msn approach. Shortly after msn had given me a few changes, ie, heading, altitude, etc, we lost power to our storm scope. This was closely followed by more electrical failure: RNAV, exterior and interior lighting, and then HSI, etc. Immediately, approach told me that he knew that I could hear him (by the maneuvers of the plane) but he could not hear my responses. He instructed me to turn off all radios, etc, including the transponder, which I did, and not to waste power by answering him, but to continue following his instructions. He immediately started me on a 'no gyro' approach. He was very competent and very complimentary to me for my execution. We were north of the airport. The active ILS was runway 36. He brought me around, lowered me. After some time of getting the aviation under control, I started a check of the panel (left to right). I switched on the alternate avionics key, then as I felt along the circuit breakers, I felt the generator circuit breaker had popped. I reset it. All electrical returned. I only talked to him again, however, after I had the runway in sight (600 ft AGL). I did this so as not to break up our smooth rapport if the power failed again. We had a beautiful, safe landing. While they had emergency vehicles out, none was needed. I did not declare an emergency due to the smoothness of the incident. I believe that I had too much 'on' even the landing and taxi lights. We have scheduled a mechanical check to see if there may be a short that was the cause and not an overload of in use equipment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. GENERATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED AND RPTR PLT LOST FLT INFO AS WELL AS LIGHTING. RPTR STILL HAD VHF RECEIVER, BUT NO XMITTER. APCH CTLR PROVIDED VECTORS FOR A NO GYRO APCH. DURING APCH RPTR FOUND GENERATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER OUT AND RESET, GETTING BACK ALL ELECTRICAL SYS.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE TO MADISON, WI, (IFR) FROM EGV, WI, TO SIT OUT (PLANNED) LOW CEILINGS IN ALL CHICAGO AREA ARPTS. OUR FINAL DEST WAS UGN, IL. ALL ARPTS ALONG THE LAKE AND NEAR W WERE 100 FT FOG. THE SIT OCCURRED WHILE ON APCH TO MSN. WE HAD JUST BEEN SWITCHED OVER FROM ZAU TO MSN APCH. SHORTLY AFTER MSN HAD GIVEN ME A FEW CHANGES, IE, HDG, ALT, ETC, WE LOST PWR TO OUR STORM SCOPE. THIS WAS CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY MORE ELECTRICAL FAILURE: RNAV, EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTING, AND THEN HSI, ETC. IMMEDIATELY, APCH TOLD ME THAT HE KNEW THAT I COULD HEAR HIM (BY THE MANEUVERS OF THE PLANE) BUT HE COULD NOT HEAR MY RESPONSES. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN OFF ALL RADIOS, ETC, INCLUDING THE XPONDER, WHICH I DID, AND NOT TO WASTE PWR BY ANSWERING HIM, BUT TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING HIS INSTRUCTIONS. HE IMMEDIATELY STARTED ME ON A 'NO GYRO' APCH. HE WAS VERY COMPETENT AND VERY COMPLIMENTARY TO ME FOR MY EXECUTION. WE WERE N OF THE ARPT. THE ACTIVE ILS WAS RWY 36. HE BROUGHT ME AROUND, LOWERED ME. AFTER SOME TIME OF GETTING THE AVIATION UNDER CTL, I STARTED A CHK OF THE PANEL (L TO R). I SWITCHED ON THE ALTERNATE AVIONICS KEY, THEN AS I FELT ALONG THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS, I FELT THE GENERATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. I RESET IT. ALL ELECTRICAL RETURNED. I ONLY TALKED TO HIM AGAIN, HOWEVER, AFTER I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT (600 FT AGL). I DID THIS SO AS NOT TO BREAK UP OUR SMOOTH RAPPORT IF THE PWR FAILED AGAIN. WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL, SAFE LNDG. WHILE THEY HAD EMER VEHICLES OUT, NONE WAS NEEDED. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER DUE TO THE SMOOTHNESS OF THE INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT I HAD TOO MUCH 'ON' EVEN THE LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS. WE HAVE SCHEDULED A MECHANICAL CHK TO SEE IF THERE MAY BE A SHORT THAT WAS THE CAUSE AND NOT AN OVERLOAD OF IN USE EQUIP.

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.