Narrative:

I was returning from iad to mwo on an IFR flight plan in VFR conditions and was handed over to pkb approach control while at an altitude of 8000 ft. I established contact with pkb approach control and shortly thereafter noted that my autoplt stopped working. My #1 radio then started to flicker and within several mins I realized that I was losing power and that my alternator was not working. I heard pkb approach call me several times but when I keyed the microphone to respond, nothing happened. I switched my transponder to 7600 but I believe that by that time the battery was almost completely gone. At this time I switched off all radios and the master switch and originally thought about continuing on to mwo but then realized that I had no ability to turn on or turn approach lights or runway lights up or down. At that time I was approaching parkersburg-marietta airport and decided to make an emergency landing at that airport. I started circling from about 8000 ft over the airport and then realized that my gear would not go down without electrical power so I commenced the procedure for pumping down the gear. At that time I really didn't know whether the airport tower was manned or not, but I could not communicate with them in any event. I did circle the tower on my way down to an emergency landing after I got the gear down to look for a green light but did not see one. I then made an uneventful landing and taxied in to the FBO, assuming that the tower was closed. After going into the FBO office I heard the tower communicating and I realized that the tower was indeed in operation, so I called them and explained my predicament. They stated that they knew I had landed and that both pkb approach and ZID were aware that I was on the ground. I had a mechanic, who happened to still be on duty, look at the aircraft and he determined that the alternator belt had come off and that the pulleys were misaligned. The aircraft was left in the heated hangar for the night and early the next morning. Although we had a battery cart standing by, the battery had regained just enough power to start the engine. We flew home in VFR conditions and landed at mwo without further incident. The alternator, battery, etc, are now being examined and repaired by a mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE APCHING PKB AND LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC. THEN FLEW ACFT WITH FAILED ALTERNATOR TO HOME BASE ILLEGALLY BECAUSE HE HAD NO WAY TO CHK IF THE GEAR WAS DOWN OR NOT.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM IAD TO MWO ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS AND WAS HANDED OVER TO PKB APCH CTL WHILE AT AN ALT OF 8000 FT. I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH PKB APCH CTL AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER NOTED THAT MY AUTOPLT STOPPED WORKING. MY #1 RADIO THEN STARTED TO FLICKER AND WITHIN SEVERAL MINS I REALIZED THAT I WAS LOSING PWR AND THAT MY ALTERNATOR WAS NOT WORKING. I HEARD PKB APCH CALL ME SEVERAL TIMES BUT WHEN I KEYED THE MIKE TO RESPOND, NOTHING HAPPENED. I SWITCHED MY XPONDER TO 7600 BUT I BELIEVE THAT BY THAT TIME THE BATTERY WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE. AT THIS TIME I SWITCHED OFF ALL RADIOS AND THE MASTER SWITCH AND ORIGINALLY THOUGHT ABOUT CONTINUING ON TO MWO BUT THEN REALIZED THAT I HAD NO ABILITY TO TURN ON OR TURN APCH LIGHTS OR RWY LIGHTS UP OR DOWN. AT THAT TIME I WAS APCHING PARKERSBURG-MARIETTA ARPT AND DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG AT THAT ARPT. I STARTED CIRCLING FROM ABOUT 8000 FT OVER THE ARPT AND THEN REALIZED THAT MY GEAR WOULD NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT ELECTRICAL PWR SO I COMMENCED THE PROC FOR PUMPING DOWN THE GEAR. AT THAT TIME I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THE ARPT TWR WAS MANNED OR NOT, BUT I COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN ANY EVENT. I DID CIRCLE THE TWR ON MY WAY DOWN TO AN EMER LNDG AFTER I GOT THE GEAR DOWN TO LOOK FOR A GREEN LIGHT BUT DID NOT SEE ONE. I THEN MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXIED IN TO THE FBO, ASSUMING THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED. AFTER GOING INTO THE FBO OFFICE I HEARD THE TWR COMMUNICATING AND I REALIZED THAT THE TWR WAS INDEED IN OP, SO I CALLED THEM AND EXPLAINED MY PREDICAMENT. THEY STATED THAT THEY KNEW I HAD LANDED AND THAT BOTH PKB APCH AND ZID WERE AWARE THAT I WAS ON THE GND. I HAD A MECH, WHO HAPPENED TO STILL BE ON DUTY, LOOK AT THE ACFT AND HE DETERMINED THAT THE ALTERNATOR BELT HAD COME OFF AND THAT THE PULLEYS WERE MISALIGNED. THE ACFT WAS LEFT IN THE HEATED HANGAR FOR THE NIGHT AND EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. ALTHOUGH WE HAD A BATTERY CART STANDING BY, THE BATTERY HAD REGAINED JUST ENOUGH PWR TO START THE ENG. WE FLEW HOME IN VFR CONDITIONS AND LANDED AT MWO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ETC, ARE NOW BEING EXAMINED AND REPAIRED BY A MECH.

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.