BE33A pilot has electrical failure on IFR approach. He turns and climbs to missed approach altitude....

Attributes
ACN	355244
Time
Date	199612
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea
State Reference	WA
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse tracon : zse tower : jfk
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 90
ASRS Report	355244
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on an IFR training flight and on an ILS approach to tiw, my aircraft lost all electrical power. I immediately set my transponder to 7700 and contacted ATC on 121.5 to declare an emergency. Because I was in solid IMC, I turned eastbound to my missed approach heading and climbed to 4000 ft (the altitude I filed to my alternate airport). After settling down, I was able to get vectors and altitudes from sea approach. Communication on my hand-held xceiver were intermittently readable and on several occasions, our communications had to be relayed through or by other aircraft. Northwest of bfi (the airport I was being vectored to) I was able to descend in VFR conditions to 800 ft MSL and get under an overcast layer. I proceeded SVFR toward bfi until I thought I might be able to stay VFR and return to rnt (my home airport). After about 1 mi or so, I decided it was safer to go directly to bfi. I lowered my landing gear manually and landed without incident at bfi. I checked with the bfi controller and sea FSS to see if anyone wanted me to file a report. None was requested. Loss of electrical power was caused by my inadvertently turning off my generator and running the battery down after plus or minus one hour of flight time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE33A PLT HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON IFR APCH. HE TURNS AND CLBS TO MISSED APCH ALT. WITH HAND-HELD HE IS ABLE TO CONTACT APCH CTLR FOR VECTORS. DSNDING INTO VMC, HE MAKES SUCCESSFUL LNDG AT BFI.

Narrative: WHILE ON AN IFR TRAINING FLT AND ON AN ILS APCH TO TIW, MY ACFT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. I IMMEDIATELY SET MY XPONDER TO 7700 AND CONTACTED ATC ON 121.5 TO DECLARE AN EMER. BECAUSE I WAS IN SOLID IMC, I TURNED EBOUND TO MY MISSED APCH HDG AND CLBED TO 4000 FT (THE ALT I FILED TO MY ALTERNATE ARPT). AFTER SETTLING DOWN, I WAS ABLE TO GET VECTORS AND ALTS FROM SEA APCH. COM ON MY HAND-HELD XCEIVER WERE INTERMITTENTLY READABLE AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, OUR COMS HAD TO BE RELAYED THROUGH OR BY OTHER ACFT. NW OF BFI (THE ARPT I WAS BEING VECTORED TO) I WAS ABLE TO DSND IN VFR CONDITIONS TO 800 FT MSL AND GET UNDER AN OVCST LAYER. I PROCEEDED SVFR TOWARD BFI UNTIL I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO STAY VFR AND RETURN TO RNT (MY HOME ARPT). AFTER ABOUT 1 MI OR SO, I DECIDED IT WAS SAFER TO GO DIRECTLY TO BFI. I LOWERED MY LNDG GEAR MANUALLY AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT BFI. I CHKED WITH THE BFI CTLR AND SEA FSS TO SEE IF ANYONE WANTED ME TO FILE A RPT. NONE WAS REQUESTED. LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WAS CAUSED BY MY INADVERTENTLY TURNING OFF MY GENERATOR AND RUNNING THE BATTERY DOWN AFTER PLUS OR MINUS ONE HR OF FLT TIME.

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.

BE33A pilot has electrical failure on IFR approach. He turns and climbs to missed approach altitude. With hand-held he is able to contact approach controller for vectors. Descending into VMC, he makes successful landing at bfi.