Narrative:

On jan/xa/99 I planned and flew a part 135 flight from fai, ak, to minchumina, galena and returned to fai. The WX along the route was reported VFR overall along the entire route. I don't recall the forecast conditions for gal, however, I believe they were forecast to be VFR with snow and possible IFR and turbulence with a SIGMET for turbulence. The WX for the fai direct lma leg was as reported. Following departure from lma, the aircraft alternator light came on and the electric power began to cycle on and off with a clicking sound in the head set. The failed alternator procedures of the checklist were performed and the alternator did reset. About 10 mins later, the same situation occurred again with the same results and once again the reset was successful. The problem continued several more times while completing the leg to gal and was also occurring while arrival at gal. The WX remained as reported until approximately 50 NM from gal. I made a minor course change to the north to avoid moderate to heavy snow in the hills. At approximately 20 NM out, I was having to turn around intermittent heavy snow showers and was being buffeted by strong winds. My altitude was 7000 ft AGL with between 3-5 mi visibility. At about this time, I made my call to gal WX and was informed that the visibility had dropped (to what I thought I heard) was 2 3/4 mi. I established a turn south to avoid the class east surface area and asked gal WX what the trend was. Gal WX stated that the cause was a snow shower moving through and he expected to have the WX back up shortly. Within just a few mins the gal WX called a report that the visibility had increased to (again, what I thought he said was) 3 mi. I turned inbound and reported landing. I experienced no visibility estimated below 3 mi during approach and landing. While on the ground, I inspected as much of the electric system as I could gain access to, checking and feeling for loose wires, connections or any other potential charging system problems. No causes were ever noted. A thorough engine run and system check failed to duplicate the alternator problem, so I decided to depart for fai. Although I did notice that the visibility had lowered significantly, it was while getting new WX that I realized that I may have heard the inbound WX incorrectly. Now the WX was being reported with the visibility at 1/2 - 3/4 mi and although I did notice a significant reduction in the visibility, it didn't seem quite that significant. What I heard as 2 3/4 and 3 mi inbound to gal may actually have been 3/4 and 1 mi and in fact I may even have repeated 3/4 and 1 mi while thinking 2 3/4 and 3 mi. I filed an IFR flight plan and departed gal for fai. Approximately 20 mins after departing gal, the alternator dropped off line and all attempts to reset the system failed. Although I could receive zan, I found I was unable to transmit my problem. While trying to relay through tanana WX to zan, another aircraft was able to step in and relay my intentions to cancel IFR and proceed to fai under VFR, after having entered VFR conditions. At this point, I have made no attempt to verify the actual reported WX. Although the WX I was experiencing was VFR, considering the changing system problems, I could have diverted to another airport and waited for the WX to clear. Also, paying closer attention to reports, writing them down, getting clarification, and repeating them back may help prevent me from having to question, later, my own actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA AIR TAXI CONTINUES FLT IN MIXED CONDITIONS WITH MALFUNCTIONING RADIO EQUIP NEAR GAL, AK.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/99 I PLANNED AND FLEW A PART 135 FLT FROM FAI, AK, TO MINCHUMINA, GALENA AND RETURNED TO FAI. THE WX ALONG THE RTE WAS RPTED VFR OVERALL ALONG THE ENTIRE RTE. I DON'T RECALL THE FORECAST CONDITIONS FOR GAL, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THEY WERE FORECAST TO BE VFR WITH SNOW AND POSSIBLE IFR AND TURB WITH A SIGMET FOR TURB. THE WX FOR THE FAI DIRECT LMA LEG WAS AS RPTED. FOLLOWING DEP FROM LMA, THE ACFT ALTERNATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ELECTRIC PWR BEGAN TO CYCLE ON AND OFF WITH A CLICKING SOUND IN THE HEAD SET. THE FAILED ALTERNATOR PROCS OF THE CHKLIST WERE PERFORMED AND THE ALTERNATOR DID RESET. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, THE SAME SIT OCCURRED AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULTS AND ONCE AGAIN THE RESET WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE PROB CONTINUED SEVERAL MORE TIMES WHILE COMPLETING THE LEG TO GAL AND WAS ALSO OCCURRING WHILE ARR AT GAL. THE WX REMAINED AS RPTED UNTIL APPROX 50 NM FROM GAL. I MADE A MINOR COURSE CHANGE TO THE N TO AVOID MODERATE TO HVY SNOW IN THE HILLS. AT APPROX 20 NM OUT, I WAS HAVING TO TURN AROUND INTERMITTENT HVY SNOW SHOWERS AND WAS BEING BUFFETED BY STRONG WINDS. MY ALT WAS 7000 FT AGL WITH BTWN 3-5 MI VISIBILITY. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, I MADE MY CALL TO GAL WX AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED (TO WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD) WAS 2 3/4 MI. I ESTABLISHED A TURN S TO AVOID THE CLASS E SURFACE AREA AND ASKED GAL WX WHAT THE TREND WAS. GAL WX STATED THAT THE CAUSE WAS A SNOW SHOWER MOVING THROUGH AND HE EXPECTED TO HAVE THE WX BACK UP SHORTLY. WITHIN JUST A FEW MINS THE GAL WX CALLED A RPT THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD INCREASED TO (AGAIN, WHAT I THOUGHT HE SAID WAS) 3 MI. I TURNED INBOUND AND RPTED LNDG. I EXPERIENCED NO VISIBILITY ESTIMATED BELOW 3 MI DURING APCH AND LNDG. WHILE ON THE GND, I INSPECTED AS MUCH OF THE ELECTRIC SYS AS I COULD GAIN ACCESS TO, CHKING AND FEELING FOR LOOSE WIRES, CONNECTIONS OR ANY OTHER POTENTIAL CHARGING SYS PROBS. NO CAUSES WERE EVER NOTED. A THOROUGH ENG RUN AND SYS CHK FAILED TO DUPLICATE THE ALTERNATOR PROB, SO I DECIDED TO DEPART FOR FAI. ALTHOUGH I DID NOTICE THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD LOWERED SIGNIFICANTLY, IT WAS WHILE GETTING NEW WX THAT I REALIZED THAT I MAY HAVE HEARD THE INBOUND WX INCORRECTLY. NOW THE WX WAS BEING RPTED WITH THE VISIBILITY AT 1/2 - 3/4 MI AND ALTHOUGH I DID NOTICE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE VISIBILITY, IT DIDN'T SEEM QUITE THAT SIGNIFICANT. WHAT I HEARD AS 2 3/4 AND 3 MI INBOUND TO GAL MAY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN 3/4 AND 1 MI AND IN FACT I MAY EVEN HAVE REPEATED 3/4 AND 1 MI WHILE THINKING 2 3/4 AND 3 MI. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND DEPARTED GAL FOR FAI. APPROX 20 MINS AFTER DEPARTING GAL, THE ALTERNATOR DROPPED OFF LINE AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESET THE SYS FAILED. ALTHOUGH I COULD RECEIVE ZAN, I FOUND I WAS UNABLE TO XMIT MY PROB. WHILE TRYING TO RELAY THROUGH TANANA WX TO ZAN, ANOTHER ACFT WAS ABLE TO STEP IN AND RELAY MY INTENTIONS TO CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED TO FAI UNDER VFR, AFTER HAVING ENTERED VFR CONDITIONS. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO VERIFY THE ACTUAL RPTED WX. ALTHOUGH THE WX I WAS EXPERIENCING WAS VFR, CONSIDERING THE CHANGING SYS PROBS, I COULD HAVE DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT AND WAITED FOR THE WX TO CLR. ALSO, PAYING CLOSER ATTN TO RPTS, WRITING THEM DOWN, GETTING CLARIFICATION, AND REPEATING THEM BACK MAY HELP PREVENT ME FROM HAVING TO QUESTION, LATER, MY OWN ACTIONS.

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.