Narrative:

I was flying a beech A24 from tcs to M83 for a friend who had bought this airplane. I was told that the plane had a fresh annual inspection and was IFR certified. While being checked out by a local CFI I noticed the amp gauge reading zero charge and was led to believe that was normal for this airplane. On the first leg from tcs to ama I noticed the amp gauge showing a negative charge but all electronics were working properly. Departing ama the airplane started good and the radios were still working good and I noticed the amp gauge was showing a higher reading, so I convinced myself that the amp gauge must be reading incorrectly and I continued toward fsm. 1 1/2 - 2 hours into this leg I began to have trouble transmitting and receiving on the radios. I then realized that I was going to lose navigation and communication ability. I was at 9000 ft MSL on top of solid overcast clouds. Ama was VFR when I departed and my WX briefing stated that it was 3300 ft overcast at fsm and was expected to get lower. I made the decision to turn back to VFR conditions at ama. I was able to tell oklahoma center that I was going back to try and find a hole to get back to VFR conditions. Center said ok and to maintain 9000 ft. I squawked 7600 and headed back toward ama. Approximately 70 KM from ama, I found a hole in the cloud layer, and I could definitely see ground so I circled down through the hole and got under the clouds and continued to ama VFR. On cell phone I called flight service and gave them my approximately distance and ETA and asked them to inform ama. Upon arrival at ama I used the cell phone to call the tower and was cleared to land. I made a low approach and asked the tower if they could see 3 wheels. They said yes and again cleared me to land and taxi to the FBO. Upon inspection a broken wire on the regulator was found to be the problem. I also discovered that there was not a pitot static system endorsement in the logbooks, so I parked the airplane until it could be flown home VFR. I feel that this situation could have been avoided if I would have had the amp system checked when I first suspected that something was not right, even though everything was still working properly. Also I should have looked for the proper aircraft endorsements myself before the flight, instead of taking another person's word that they were there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH SIERRA, BE24 LOST ALL RADIOS WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP OF AN OVCST DUE TO A BROKEN REGULATOR WIRE. PLT WAS ABLE TO ADVISE ATC AND RETURN TO DEP ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS. AFTER LOSING HIS ACFT RADIO COMS HE WAS ABLE TO NOTIFY FLT SVC OF HIS LOCATION AND INTENTIONS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY HIS DEST TWR, VIA A HAND HELD CELLULAR PHONE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A BEECH A24 FROM TCS TO M83 FOR A FRIEND WHO HAD BOUGHT THIS AIRPLANE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PLANE HAD A FRESH ANNUAL INSPECTION AND WAS IFR CERTIFIED. WHILE BEING CHKED OUT BY A LCL CFI I NOTICED THE AMP GAUGE READING ZERO CHARGE AND WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT WAS NORMAL FOR THIS AIRPLANE. ON THE FIRST LEG FROM TCS TO AMA I NOTICED THE AMP GAUGE SHOWING A NEGATIVE CHARGE BUT ALL ELECTRONICS WERE WORKING PROPERLY. DEPARTING AMA THE AIRPLANE STARTED GOOD AND THE RADIOS WERE STILL WORKING GOOD AND I NOTICED THE AMP GAUGE WAS SHOWING A HIGHER READING, SO I CONVINCED MYSELF THAT THE AMP GAUGE MUST BE READING INCORRECTLY AND I CONTINUED TOWARD FSM. 1 1/2 - 2 HRS INTO THIS LEG I BEGAN TO HAVE TROUBLE XMITTING AND RECEIVING ON THE RADIOS. I THEN REALIZED THAT I WAS GOING TO LOSE NAV AND COM ABILITY. I WAS AT 9000 FT MSL ON TOP OF SOLID OVCST CLOUDS. AMA WAS VFR WHEN I DEPARTED AND MY WX BRIEFING STATED THAT IT WAS 3300 FT OVCST AT FSM AND WAS EXPECTED TO GET LOWER. I MADE THE DECISION TO TURN BACK TO VFR CONDITIONS AT AMA. I WAS ABLE TO TELL OKLAHOMA CTR THAT I WAS GOING BACK TO TRY AND FIND A HOLE TO GET BACK TO VFR CONDITIONS. CTR SAID OK AND TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT. I SQUAWKED 7600 AND HEADED BACK TOWARD AMA. APPROX 70 KM FROM AMA, I FOUND A HOLE IN THE CLOUD LAYER, AND I COULD DEFINITELY SEE GND SO I CIRCLED DOWN THROUGH THE HOLE AND GOT UNDER THE CLOUDS AND CONTINUED TO AMA VFR. ON CELL PHONE I CALLED FLT SVC AND GAVE THEM MY APPROX DISTANCE AND ETA AND ASKED THEM TO INFORM AMA. UPON ARR AT AMA I USED THE CELL PHONE TO CALL THE TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I MADE A LOW APCH AND ASKED THE TWR IF THEY COULD SEE 3 WHEELS. THEY SAID YES AND AGAIN CLRED ME TO LAND AND TAXI TO THE FBO. UPON INSPECTION A BROKEN WIRE ON THE REGULATOR WAS FOUND TO BE THE PROB. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PITOT STATIC SYS ENDORSEMENT IN THE LOGBOOKS, SO I PARKED THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT COULD BE FLOWN HOME VFR. I FEEL THAT THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I WOULD HAVE HAD THE AMP SYS CHKED WHEN I FIRST SUSPECTED THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT, EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING WAS STILL WORKING PROPERLY. ALSO I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED FOR THE PROPER ACFT ENDORSEMENTS MYSELF BEFORE THE FLT, INSTEAD OF TAKING ANOTHER PERSON'S WORD THAT THEY WERE THERE.

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.