Narrative:

After departing bfi on kent 3 departure, was assigned 4000 ft then shortly after, 5000 ft. Upon approaching 5000 ft, controller reported not receiving mode C and assigned filed altitude 9000 ft. I reported back leaving 5000 ft for 9000 ft. During the climb, communications became difficult and radio problems were evident. ATC asked what altitude I was at and I reported out of 8200 ft for 9000 ft. The display lights began to flash intermittently and confirmed a problem with the aircraft radios. Next I noticed a fuel boost inoperative light illuminate and switched tanks, which normally results in the light going out, but it remained on and I became aware of the problem not being limited to the radios. I began reducing the electrical load, ie, pitot, propeller and windshield heat off. As I approached 9000 ft, I could see a hole of blue sky just to my right, and I turned right for it, as it seemed to be the best alternative. Both navs were flagged. I broke out on top at about 9500 ft and continued my climb. As I broke out, a heavy jet passed overhead. It appeared to be approximately 1000-1500 ft above me. I considered reversing my course and actually did turn around to return and land but was not comfortable with the situation considering traffic density and WX because I had been IFR. (I had previously, prior to reaching 9000 ft, requested to turn around and get clearance back to bfi, not knowing where the tops were.) I decided to continue VFR eastbound and climbed to 11500 ft, then to 12000 ft as the tops were higher to the east over the cascades. I squawked 7600 and attempted to restore power. I was unsuccessful at doing so using the checklist for alternator inoperative (alternator light on). I used it even though there were no alternator lights on. Cycling the master switch and alternator switches did nothing, so I shut the electrical system down and continued to my destination approximately 60 NM VFR. Upon reaching my destination, I pwred the electrical system and lowered the gear and flaps normally and announced on TA frequency uneventfully. When I was troubleshooting the system and recycling the switches I may have tried to do this too quickly with the stress of the situation. I did know that when I saw blue sky I wanted to get to VFR immediately and am glad I did. Using the compass (HSI heading information electric) although was brief, was very difficult and had no practice with it for 3 yrs. I did not realize it at the time, but on the right side (copilot) there was a horizontal indicator driven by vacuum. This is a problem when the aircraft you fly are not standardized. By the time I made it out on top I did not know which direction I was going. All I was focused on at that time was getting through the haze in the clouds. Upon landing, I noticed the over voltage relay circuit breakers open which was not on the checklist to check but I think it was closed when I looked. After the incident occurred initially I remember looking and not seeing any open breaker so don't know if it occurred before landing when I repwred the system, or possibly when I shut the system down and pulled them.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT ATX PLT LOSES HIS ELECTRICAL PWR DEPARTING SEA AREA AND CLBS THROUGH A VFR HOLE TO CONTINUE VFR ON TOP TO DEST ARPT. PWR WAS TEMPORARILY RESTORED FOR HIS ARR AT DEST.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING BFI ON KENT 3 DEP, WAS ASSIGNED 4000 FT THEN SHORTLY AFTER, 5000 FT. UPON APCHING 5000 FT, CTLR RPTED NOT RECEIVING MODE C AND ASSIGNED FILED ALT 9000 FT. I RPTED BACK LEAVING 5000 FT FOR 9000 FT. DURING THE CLB, COMS BECAME DIFFICULT AND RADIO PROBS WERE EVIDENT. ATC ASKED WHAT ALT I WAS AT AND I RPTED OUT OF 8200 FT FOR 9000 FT. THE DISPLAY LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH INTERMITTENTLY AND CONFIRMED A PROB WITH THE ACFT RADIOS. NEXT I NOTICED A FUEL BOOST INOP LIGHT ILLUMINATE AND SWITCHED TANKS, WHICH NORMALLY RESULTS IN THE LIGHT GOING OUT, BUT IT REMAINED ON AND I BECAME AWARE OF THE PROB NOT BEING LIMITED TO THE RADIOS. I BEGAN REDUCING THE ELECTRICAL LOAD, IE, PITOT, PROP AND WINDSHIELD HEAT OFF. AS I APCHED 9000 FT, I COULD SEE A HOLE OF BLUE SKY JUST TO MY R, AND I TURNED RIGHT FOR IT, AS IT SEEMED TO BE THE BEST ALTERNATIVE. BOTH NAVS WERE FLAGGED. I BROKE OUT ON TOP AT ABOUT 9500 FT AND CONTINUED MY CLB. AS I BROKE OUT, A HVY JET PASSED OVERHEAD. IT APPEARED TO BE APPROX 1000-1500 FT ABOVE ME. I CONSIDERED REVERSING MY COURSE AND ACTUALLY DID TURN AROUND TO RETURN AND LAND BUT WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIT CONSIDERING TFC DENSITY AND WX BECAUSE I HAD BEEN IFR. (I HAD PREVIOUSLY, PRIOR TO REACHING 9000 FT, REQUESTED TO TURN AROUND AND GET CLRNC BACK TO BFI, NOT KNOWING WHERE THE TOPS WERE.) I DECIDED TO CONTINUE VFR EBOUND AND CLBED TO 11500 FT, THEN TO 12000 FT AS THE TOPS WERE HIGHER TO THE E OVER THE CASCADES. I SQUAWKED 7600 AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE PWR. I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AT DOING SO USING THE CHKLIST FOR ALTERNATOR INOP (ALTERNATOR LIGHT ON). I USED IT EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO ALTERNATOR LIGHTS ON. CYCLING THE MASTER SWITCH AND ALTERNATOR SWITCHES DID NOTHING, SO I SHUT THE ELECTRICAL SYS DOWN AND CONTINUED TO MY DEST APPROX 60 NM VFR. UPON REACHING MY DEST, I PWRED THE ELECTRICAL SYS AND LOWERED THE GEAR AND FLAPS NORMALLY AND ANNOUNCED ON TA FREQ UNEVENTFULLY. WHEN I WAS TROUBLESHOOTING THE SYS AND RECYCLING THE SWITCHES I MAY HAVE TRIED TO DO THIS TOO QUICKLY WITH THE STRESS OF THE SIT. I DID KNOW THAT WHEN I SAW BLUE SKY I WANTED TO GET TO VFR IMMEDIATELY AND AM GLAD I DID. USING THE COMPASS (HSI HDG INFO ELECTRIC) ALTHOUGH WAS BRIEF, WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND HAD NO PRACTICE WITH IT FOR 3 YRS. I DID NOT REALIZE IT AT THE TIME, BUT ON THE R SIDE (COPLT) THERE WAS A HORIZ INDICATOR DRIVEN BY VACUUM. THIS IS A PROB WHEN THE ACFT YOU FLY ARE NOT STANDARDIZED. BY THE TIME I MADE IT OUT ON TOP I DID NOT KNOW WHICH DIRECTION I WAS GOING. ALL I WAS FOCUSED ON AT THAT TIME WAS GETTING THROUGH THE HAZE IN THE CLOUDS. UPON LNDG, I NOTICED THE OVER VOLTAGE RELAY CIRCUIT BREAKERS OPEN WHICH WAS NOT ON THE CHKLIST TO CHK BUT I THINK IT WAS CLOSED WHEN I LOOKED. AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED INITIALLY I REMEMBER LOOKING AND NOT SEEING ANY OPEN BREAKER SO DON'T KNOW IF IT OCCURRED BEFORE LNDG WHEN I REPWRED THE SYS, OR POSSIBLY WHEN I SHUT THE SYS DOWN AND PULLED THEM.

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.