A piper 24-250 in cruise at 4000 ft diverted due to complete loss of electrical power, cause unknown...

Attributes
ACN	418744
Time
Date	199810
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rfd
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rfd
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-24 Comanche
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	418744
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departed lake in the hills (3CK) IFR en route to quincy, il (uin). Departure clearance 265 degree vector 3000 ft. Chicago switched me to rockford. Climb 4000 ft, 265 degree vector, expect on course. Lights in cockpit started to dim. Ammeter reading low, autoplt kicked off, radios would not transmit. Attempted to call rockford approach several times. Squawked 7600 and started to troubleshoot, maintaining 4000 ft and 265 degree heading. Thought I had lost alternator or belt. Started to check circuit breaker and found one popped. Reset breaker, power was restored. Contacted rockford and asked for vectors to VMC conditions and returned to assigned squawk. Rockford asked if that was me 5 NM south of rockford and asked what I wanted to do. I stated I wanted vectors to visual to land rockford, no emergency equipment was required. Rockford approach vectored me to a final for runway 19 where I landed uneventfully. In the morning I could not duplicate the circuit breaker popping. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated in the morning a check of the electrical system including the lights was made and the circuit breaker remained closed. The reporter said the aircraft is equipped with more than adequate electronic devices and the electrical load for the circuit breaker may be at its limits. The reporter stated the aircraft is going into maintenance for upgraded electronics and the shop will be requested to test or replace the circuit breaker.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER 24-250 IN CRUISE AT 4000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR, CAUSE UNKNOWN.

Narrative: DEPARTED LAKE IN THE HILLS (3CK) IFR ENRTE TO QUINCY, IL (UIN). DEP CLRNC 265 DEG VECTOR 3000 FT. CHICAGO SWITCHED ME TO ROCKFORD. CLB 4000 FT, 265 DEG VECTOR, EXPECT ON COURSE. LIGHTS IN COCKPIT STARTED TO DIM. AMMETER READING LOW, AUTOPLT KICKED OFF, RADIOS WOULD NOT XMIT. ATTEMPTED TO CALL ROCKFORD APCH SEVERAL TIMES. SQUAWKED 7600 AND STARTED TO TROUBLESHOOT, MAINTAINING 4000 FT AND 265 DEG HDG. THOUGHT I HAD LOST ALTERNATOR OR BELT. STARTED TO CHK CIRCUIT BREAKER AND FOUND ONE POPPED. RESET BREAKER, PWR WAS RESTORED. CONTACTED ROCKFORD AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO VMC CONDITIONS AND RETURNED TO ASSIGNED SQUAWK. ROCKFORD ASKED IF THAT WAS ME 5 NM S OF ROCKFORD AND ASKED WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I STATED I WANTED VECTORS TO VISUAL TO LAND ROCKFORD, NO EMER EQUIP WAS REQUIRED. ROCKFORD APCH VECTORED ME TO A FINAL FOR RWY 19 WHERE I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. IN THE MORNING I COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IN THE MORNING A CHK OF THE ELECTRICAL SYS INCLUDING THE LIGHTS WAS MADE AND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER REMAINED CLOSED. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH MORE THAN ADEQUATE ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND THE ELECTRICAL LOAD FOR THE CIRCUIT BREAKER MAY BE AT ITS LIMITS. THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT IS GOING INTO MAINT FOR UPGRADED ELECTRONICS AND THE SHOP WILL BE REQUESTED TO TEST OR REPLACE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER.

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.