Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from falcon field in mesa, az, to reno-tahoe international, reno, nv. There was 1 passenger, my brother, also an IFR qualified pilot. The airplane is a 1974 PA32- 300. The flight was uneventful until 3 hours into the flight. The airplane was in level flight at 10500 ft about 20 mi southeast of the coaldale VOR along V105. The first hint of a problem occurred when we noticed we could not talk to each other through the voice activated intercom. Soon thereafter the lower radio package went blank. I checked the ammeter which read zero. Then the panel went blank. I turned the alternator master switch off for about 2 mins. When I turned it back on everything electrical came back on. The ammeter showed a strong charge. By this time we were past coaldale VOR about 100 NM southeast of reno. I did have a battery operated GPS hand-held which provided navigation aid. My brother and I turned off everything electrical to conserve what we had in the airplane battery. We flew for about 5 mins when the ammeter went to zero again. We discussed our options. We were just past hawthorne, nv, just 15 mins from reno. I was familiar with reno-tahoe international airport having been there on several flts. By now our fuel indicators were not working. I had been timing usage and changing tanks every 1/2 hour. I made the decision to land at rno. I flew towards the tower at a 45 degree angle for entry into a downwind for runway 16L. There was no one in the pattern. There were several aircraft waiting on runway 16R and a B737 landing on runway 16R. I landed with no problem on runway 16L, turned left off the runway. I checked for light signals from the tower constantly and my brother also was looking for some indication. He was a great assistant watching for other aircraft and to review our situation. I taxied to the FBO. I was asked to call the tower. The FAA official was concerned about my crossing of runway 16L&right while taxiing to the FBO. He also said I would be better off to land at carson city or an outlying airport. I was concerned about fixing the airplane. We later learned the alternator bearings froze up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32-300 ACFT PLT HAS TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND CONTINUES FLT INTO MAJOR ARPT NORDO. AFTER LNDG HE WATCHES FOR LIGHT SIGNALS, BUT RECEIVING NONE CROSSES RWYS TO PARKING.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM FALCON FIELD IN MESA, AZ, TO RENO-TAHOE INTL, RENO, NV. THERE WAS 1 PAX, MY BROTHER, ALSO AN IFR QUALIFIED PLT. THE AIRPLANE IS A 1974 PA32- 300. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL 3 HRS INTO THE FLT. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN LEVEL FLT AT 10500 FT ABOUT 20 MI SE OF THE COALDALE VOR ALONG V105. THE FIRST HINT OF A PROB OCCURRED WHEN WE NOTICED WE COULD NOT TALK TO EACH OTHER THROUGH THE VOICE ACTIVATED INTERCOM. SOON THEREAFTER THE LOWER RADIO PACKAGE WENT BLANK. I CHKED THE AMMETER WHICH READ ZERO. THEN THE PANEL WENT BLANK. I TURNED THE ALTERNATOR MASTER SWITCH OFF FOR ABOUT 2 MINS. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL CAME BACK ON. THE AMMETER SHOWED A STRONG CHARGE. BY THIS TIME WE WERE PAST COALDALE VOR ABOUT 100 NM SE OF RENO. I DID HAVE A BATTERY OPERATED GPS HAND-HELD WHICH PROVIDED NAV AID. MY BROTHER AND I TURNED OFF EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL TO CONSERVE WHAT WE HAD IN THE AIRPLANE BATTERY. WE FLEW FOR ABOUT 5 MINS WHEN THE AMMETER WENT TO ZERO AGAIN. WE DISCUSSED OUR OPTIONS. WE WERE JUST PAST HAWTHORNE, NV, JUST 15 MINS FROM RENO. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH RENO-TAHOE INTL ARPT HAVING BEEN THERE ON SEVERAL FLTS. BY NOW OUR FUEL INDICATORS WERE NOT WORKING. I HAD BEEN TIMING USAGE AND CHANGING TANKS EVERY 1/2 HR. I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AT RNO. I FLEW TOWARDS THE TWR AT A 45 DEG ANGLE FOR ENTRY INTO A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16L. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE PATTERN. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT WAITING ON RWY 16R AND A B737 LNDG ON RWY 16R. I LANDED WITH NO PROB ON RWY 16L, TURNED L OFF THE RWY. I CHKED FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR CONSTANTLY AND MY BROTHER ALSO WAS LOOKING FOR SOME INDICATION. HE WAS A GREAT ASSISTANT WATCHING FOR OTHER ACFT AND TO REVIEW OUR SIT. I TAXIED TO THE FBO. I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR. THE FAA OFFICIAL WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY XING OF RWY 16L&R WHILE TAXIING TO THE FBO. HE ALSO SAID I WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO LAND AT CARSON CITY OR AN OUTLYING ARPT. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FIXING THE AIRPLANE. WE LATER LEARNED THE ALTERNATOR BEARINGS FROZE UP.

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.