Narrative:

Was on my way to dickenson, nd, from anoka, mn, and stopped into bismarck, nd, on the way. This was a part 135 freight run. I had noticed that my right alternator voltage was not as high as the left, and it appeared at times to surge. With the knowledge I had, I tried to remedy the problem by taking it on- and off-line to recycle the alternator. In bismarck, I called back to base and was told to have it looked at on the other end (dickenson). When departing bis to dik, my battery was low and I had to get a jump start. Due to the severe cold conditions and being unfamiliar with environment, I thought nothing of it. I did a longer run-up and assured that the battery was taking a charge and that the alternators (at least the left) were picking up the charge. Departing bis, it was snowing, icing, and IMC conditions, so I had to turn on all electrical equipment pertinent for flight (pitot heat, propellers, heat plate, etc). This was obviously too much load for the charge being produced. Shortly after takeoff in IMC, I realized the panel lights were becoming dim followed by loss of transmitting capability on radios. I tried all appropriate situational procedures to remedy the problem, such as turning off all unnecessary electrical equipment, recycling alternator, master, etc. I was down to 1 radio and a flashlight at 8000 ft MSL IMC, snow and ice. I was losing radio communication with the controller. He was calling and I was calling. I could hear him, but he could only hear a 'carrier wave only' and even that was fading fast. I turned on the emergency avionics switch and received some additional power to the radio, but still no transmit. The controller and I were re-establishing communication through 'clicking' the microphone with the response of '2 clicks' meaning I understood. The controller asked if I would like to return to bis and I gladly replied! We tried the ILS, but the radio power was not enough for the VOR to work. I was zero on navigation ability other than the controller's vectors. We concluded the saga with an ASR approach back into bis using the push-to-talk to communicate vectors and altitude. I had to land without any lights on a snow covered runway. I never declared an actual emergency, but I probably would have if someone could have heard me. Since the power was drained, the transponder was inoperative at the time also. After the flight, the aircraft was found to have some other electrical problems other than the alternator including a bad voltage regulator, annunciator lights not working properly, etc, and they are currently working on it as we speak to find any other problems which might exist. I was closing in on my duty time limits before departing and was tired. This could have played a role in the decision to continue the flight just so I could get back and get some sleep, instead of having it looked at in bismarck versus dickenson. My company wanted the aircraft back in dickenson to be looked at where parts would be readily available, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX SMA FREIGHTER PLT DEPARTED WITH KNOWN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR PROBS INTO BAD WINTER WX AND LOST MOST OF HIS ELECTRICALLY PWRED SYS, BUT FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO RETURN WITH THE HELP OF A HIGHLY SKILLED CTLR.

Narrative: WAS ON MY WAY TO DICKENSON, ND, FROM ANOKA, MN, AND STOPPED INTO BISMARCK, ND, ON THE WAY. THIS WAS A PART 135 FREIGHT RUN. I HAD NOTICED THAT MY R ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE WAS NOT AS HIGH AS THE L, AND IT APPEARED AT TIMES TO SURGE. WITH THE KNOWLEDGE I HAD, I TRIED TO REMEDY THE PROB BY TAKING IT ON- AND OFF-LINE TO RECYCLE THE ALTERNATOR. IN BISMARCK, I CALLED BACK TO BASE AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT ON THE OTHER END (DICKENSON). WHEN DEPARTING BIS TO DIK, MY BATTERY WAS LOW AND I HAD TO GET A JUMP START. DUE TO THE SEVERE COLD CONDITIONS AND BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH ENVIRONMENT, I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. I DID A LONGER RUN-UP AND ASSURED THAT THE BATTERY WAS TAKING A CHARGE AND THAT THE ALTERNATORS (AT LEAST THE L) WERE PICKING UP THE CHARGE. DEPARTING BIS, IT WAS SNOWING, ICING, AND IMC CONDITIONS, SO I HAD TO TURN ON ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP PERTINENT FOR FLT (PITOT HEAT, PROPS, HEAT PLATE, ETC). THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY TOO MUCH LOAD FOR THE CHARGE BEING PRODUCED. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF IN IMC, I REALIZED THE PANEL LIGHTS WERE BECOMING DIM FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF XMITTING CAPABILITY ON RADIOS. I TRIED ALL APPROPRIATE SITUATIONAL PROCS TO REMEDY THE PROB, SUCH AS TURNING OFF ALL UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL EQUIP, RECYCLING ALTERNATOR, MASTER, ETC. I WAS DOWN TO 1 RADIO AND A FLASHLIGHT AT 8000 FT MSL IMC, SNOW AND ICE. I WAS LOSING RADIO COM WITH THE CTLR. HE WAS CALLING AND I WAS CALLING. I COULD HEAR HIM, BUT HE COULD ONLY HEAR A 'CARRIER WAVE ONLY' AND EVEN THAT WAS FADING FAST. I TURNED ON THE EMER AVIONICS SWITCH AND RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL PWR TO THE RADIO, BUT STILL NO XMIT. THE CTLR AND I WERE RE-ESTABLISHING COM THROUGH 'CLICKING' THE MICROPHONE WITH THE RESPONSE OF '2 CLICKS' MEANING I UNDERSTOOD. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO BIS AND I GLADLY REPLIED! WE TRIED THE ILS, BUT THE RADIO PWR WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE VOR TO WORK. I WAS ZERO ON NAV ABILITY OTHER THAN THE CTLR'S VECTORS. WE CONCLUDED THE SAGA WITH AN ASR APCH BACK INTO BIS USING THE PUSH-TO-TALK TO COMMUNICATE VECTORS AND ALT. I HAD TO LAND WITHOUT ANY LIGHTS ON A SNOW COVERED RWY. I NEVER DECLARED AN ACTUAL EMER, BUT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE IF SOMEONE COULD HAVE HEARD ME. SINCE THE PWR WAS DRAINED, THE XPONDER WAS INOP AT THE TIME ALSO. AFTER THE FLT, THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SOME OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBS OTHER THAN THE ALTERNATOR INCLUDING A BAD VOLTAGE REGULATOR, ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, ETC, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IT AS WE SPEAK TO FIND ANY OTHER PROBS WHICH MIGHT EXIST. I WAS CLOSING IN ON MY DUTY TIME LIMITS BEFORE DEPARTING AND WAS TIRED. THIS COULD HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLT JUST SO I COULD GET BACK AND GET SOME SLEEP, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT LOOKED AT IN BISMARCK VERSUS DICKENSON. MY COMPANY WANTED THE ACFT BACK IN DICKENSON TO BE LOOKED AT WHERE PARTS WOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE, ETC.

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.