BE35 pilot experiences electrical failure in ZOA airspace and lands under declared emergency.

Attributes
ACN	428619
Time
Date	199902
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : rdd.vor
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 550
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	428619
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

IFR redding, ca (benton), to santa rosa, ca (125 NM), WX 400 ft overcast, solid IFR departure without incident. Passing 5000 ft (going to 9000 ft), flash under dash on copilot's side, blobs of glowing metal on floor, carpet smoking, big draw on ammeter. Called center, 'I have a problem,' then switched battery/master off. Glow remained under dash for a few seconds. Thought I was on fire, IMC, with no electrical system. Turned all electrical off, pitot, radios, everything. Controled aircraft, navigation with hand-held GPS. Leveled at 9000 ft, IMC, no VOR or communication radio, transponder, etc. Tried battery on -- no observed sparks or big current draw. Tried alternator (inter-av alternator conversion), no success in getting it back on-line. Communication #1 turned on first contacted oakland, advised of electrical fire, that I was turning battery back off, wanted to conserve battery power. They asked if I wanted to go to redding (nearby). I said no, I wanted to continue to destination sts (50 mins) -- I was not then ready for an approach, still evaluating options. First, thought sts quicker, easier, but was considering options such as chico and redding. Still not sure if any navigation radios worked, needed time to see if they were, still evaluate options. Continued toward south on course toward rbl with no radios, battery, master off. Turned on battery. Determined that communication #1 and navigation #1 (has GS) were available without creating problems. Contacted center over red bluff (25 mi out). Center declared emergency, directed me to land at redding. Vectored me north. I advised position over red bluff (via information from hand-held GPS), they cleared for the rbl transition for ILS at redding. I executed this uneventfully. Elated to be on ground! Maintenance currently pursuing source of electrical short, so far found melted 18 gauge ground wire near voltage regulator, but have not yet pinpointed actual cause of short. No airframe damage was noted, except for wiring. Actual cause of problem: still undetermined, but probably old wiring with failed insulation. Recommendation: replace old wiring before problems arise.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 PLT EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN ZOA AIRSPACE AND LANDS UNDER DECLARED EMER.

Narrative: IFR REDDING, CA (BENTON), TO SANTA ROSA, CA (125 NM), WX 400 FT OVCST, SOLID IFR DEP WITHOUT INCIDENT. PASSING 5000 FT (GOING TO 9000 FT), FLASH UNDER DASH ON COPLT'S SIDE, BLOBS OF GLOWING METAL ON FLOOR, CARPET SMOKING, BIG DRAW ON AMMETER. CALLED CTR, 'I HAVE A PROB,' THEN SWITCHED BATTERY/MASTER OFF. GLOW REMAINED UNDER DASH FOR A FEW SECONDS. THOUGHT I WAS ON FIRE, IMC, WITH NO ELECTRICAL SYS. TURNED ALL ELECTRICAL OFF, PITOT, RADIOS, EVERYTHING. CTLED ACFT, NAV WITH HAND-HELD GPS. LEVELED AT 9000 FT, IMC, NO VOR OR COM RADIO, XPONDER, ETC. TRIED BATTERY ON -- NO OBSERVED SPARKS OR BIG CURRENT DRAW. TRIED ALTERNATOR (INTER-AV ALTERNATOR CONVERSION), NO SUCCESS IN GETTING IT BACK ON-LINE. COM #1 TURNED ON FIRST CONTACTED OAKLAND, ADVISED OF ELECTRICAL FIRE, THAT I WAS TURNING BATTERY BACK OFF, WANTED TO CONSERVE BATTERY PWR. THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO GO TO REDDING (NEARBY). I SAID NO, I WANTED TO CONTINUE TO DEST STS (50 MINS) -- I WAS NOT THEN READY FOR AN APCH, STILL EVALUATING OPTIONS. FIRST, THOUGHT STS QUICKER, EASIER, BUT WAS CONSIDERING OPTIONS SUCH AS CHICO AND REDDING. STILL NOT SURE IF ANY NAV RADIOS WORKED, NEEDED TIME TO SEE IF THEY WERE, STILL EVALUATE OPTIONS. CONTINUED TOWARD S ON COURSE TOWARD RBL WITH NO RADIOS, BATTERY, MASTER OFF. TURNED ON BATTERY. DETERMINED THAT COM #1 AND NAV #1 (HAS GS) WERE AVAILABLE WITHOUT CREATING PROBS. CONTACTED CTR OVER RED BLUFF (25 MI OUT). CTR DECLARED EMER, DIRECTED ME TO LAND AT REDDING. VECTORED ME N. I ADVISED POS OVER RED BLUFF (VIA INFO FROM HAND-HELD GPS), THEY CLRED FOR THE RBL TRANSITION FOR ILS AT REDDING. I EXECUTED THIS UNEVENTFULLY. ELATED TO BE ON GND! MAINT CURRENTLY PURSUING SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL SHORT, SO FAR FOUND MELTED 18 GAUGE GND WIRE NEAR VOLTAGE REGULATOR, BUT HAVE NOT YET PINPOINTED ACTUAL CAUSE OF SHORT. NO AIRFRAME DAMAGE WAS NOTED, EXCEPT FOR WIRING. ACTUAL CAUSE OF PROB: STILL UNDETERMINED, BUT PROBABLY OLD WIRING WITH FAILED INSULATION. RECOMMENDATION: REPLACE OLD WIRING BEFORE PROBS ARISE.

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.