Narrative:

The flight involved a complete electrical failure at night and a successful landing. The events leading up to the problem are as follows: after departing binghampton, ny, for providence, ri, around dusk, (I was alone on this flight) and was cleared to 17000 ft (my requested altitude) and direct ponee intersection. Ponee was set in my GPS and upon arriving at 17000 ft I set the altitude control and turned to the chart case behind the copilot's seat to get the high level chart (I filed for 17000 ft and didn't expect to use them). When I looked back at the panel I was at 16800 ft and the altitude light was out, so I reset it and looked down at the chart. When I looked up the light was out again and I was at 17200 ft, and when I set it again it wouldn't hold, but the rest of the autoplt (heading) was working. Shortly after while trying to figure what happened the rest of the autoplt went out as did everything else in the cockpit. At this point I got out a flashlight and told center on my emergency communication about the problem and they gave me vectors to the nearest airport (albany) and cleared me down to 11000 ft. While descending I got out the checklist and started following through the sequence for the failure, resetting the left generator, but nothing happened. As I was about to try the right side I was switched to albany approach and given a few identing turns. I was reading the instruments on the right side with the flashlight (the left side is electric) when the emergency communication went out. At that point I decided to stop troubleshooting, concentrate on flying the aircraft and get it safely on the ground. I used the emergency gear extension and was able to listen to albany approach on the hand-held, but they couldn't hear me. I hadn't declared an emergency because I knew I could land safely and that they had cleared traffic until I got in. This event happened fri night and because of the weekend I haven't been able to find out what caused both generators to go out or why my emergency communication only lasted a few mins. After landing I got an APU and started both engines and although the left one wouldn't come on line the right one did. In looking back I'm sure the right one would have come back on line if I had continued troubleshooting but I feel once you make a decision you should stick with it. With the airport in front of me and the gear down I knew I could land safely so I have to feel I made the right decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TWIN TURBOPROP EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT NIGHT AND LANDED AFTER CONTACTING ATC ON A HAND HELD RADIO AND MANUALLY EXTENDING THE LNDG GEAR. HE WAS ALONE WITH ONLY A FLASHLIGHT TO LIGHT THE R PANEL FLT INSTS WHICH WERE NON ELECTRIC.

Narrative: THE FLT INVOLVED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT NIGHT AND A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE PROB ARE AS FOLLOWS: AFTER DEPARTING BINGHAMPTON, NY, FOR PROVIDENCE, RI, AROUND DUSK, (I WAS ALONE ON THIS FLT) AND WAS CLRED TO 17000 FT (MY REQUESTED ALT) AND DIRECT PONEE INTXN. PONEE WAS SET IN MY GPS AND UPON ARRIVING AT 17000 FT I SET THE ALT CTL AND TURNED TO THE CHART CASE BEHIND THE COPLT'S SEAT TO GET THE HIGH LEVEL CHART (I FILED FOR 17000 FT AND DIDN'T EXPECT TO USE THEM). WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT THE PANEL I WAS AT 16800 FT AND THE ALT LIGHT WAS OUT, SO I RESET IT AND LOOKED DOWN AT THE CHART. WHEN I LOOKED UP THE LIGHT WAS OUT AGAIN AND I WAS AT 17200 FT, AND WHEN I SET IT AGAIN IT WOULDN'T HOLD, BUT THE REST OF THE AUTOPLT (HEADING) WAS WORKING. SHORTLY AFTER WHILE TRYING TO FIGURE WHAT HAPPENED THE REST OF THE AUTOPLT WENT OUT AS DID EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE COCKPIT. AT THIS POINT I GOT OUT A FLASHLIGHT AND TOLD CTR ON MY EMER COM ABOUT THE PROB AND THEY GAVE ME VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT (ALBANY) AND CLRED ME DOWN TO 11000 FT. WHILE DSNDING I GOT OUT THE CHKLIST AND STARTED FOLLOWING THROUGH THE SEQUENCE FOR THE FAILURE, RESETTING THE L GENERATOR, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. AS I WAS ABOUT TO TRY THE R SIDE I WAS SWITCHED TO ALBANY APCH AND GIVEN A FEW IDENTING TURNS. I WAS READING THE INSTS ON THE R SIDE WITH THE FLASHLIGHT (THE L SIDE IS ELECTRIC) WHEN THE EMER COM WENT OUT. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED TO STOP TROUBLESHOOTING, CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE ACFT AND GET IT SAFELY ON THE GND. I USED THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION AND WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO ALBANY APCH ON THE HAND-HELD, BUT THEY COULDN'T HEAR ME. I HADN'T DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE I KNEW I COULD LAND SAFELY AND THAT THEY HAD CLRED TFC UNTIL I GOT IN. THIS EVENT HAPPENED FRI NIGHT AND BECAUSE OF THE WEEKEND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED BOTH GENERATORS TO GO OUT OR WHY MY EMER COM ONLY LASTED A FEW MINS. AFTER LNDG I GOT AN APU AND STARTED BOTH ENGS AND ALTHOUGH THE L ONE WOULDN'T COME ON LINE THE R ONE DID. IN LOOKING BACK I'M SURE THE R ONE WOULD HAVE COME BACK ON LINE IF I HAD CONTINUED TROUBLESHOOTING BUT I FEEL ONCE YOU MAKE A DECISION YOU SHOULD STICK WITH IT. WITH THE ARPT IN FRONT OF ME AND THE GEAR DOWN I KNEW I COULD LAND SAFELY SO I HAVE TO FEEL I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.

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.