Narrative:

We departed smx, ca, on an IFR flight plan for las, nv. We had a primary inverter fail, which also popped the bus tie circuit breaker. I lost my instruments and used the peanut gyro to straighten the airplane out of a banked turn. We reset my circuit breaker for the primary inverter and regained my horizon and other instruments and requested a radar vector back to smx for a landing. ATC vectored us for a back course approach, and we landed. We called for an a&P mechanic to troubleshoot and find the problem. After an extensive check, we could not duplicate the problem on the ground so we called an FBO at las for a more extensive investigation of the electrical system upon our arrival at las. On departing a second time, we had a similar problem but with a different bus. I reset the breaker and it stayed in. We continued to las since we made arrangements at the FBO for an extensive maintenance check. The WX was VFR for our entire route of flight. When returning, one of the passenger informed me that we may have entered vandenburg AFB airspace on the preceding day's flight. Neither my first officer nor I were aware of this since we both have never flown out of smx before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW OF TWIN ENG TURBOJET ACFT EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL PWR LOSS AFTER TKOF FROM SMX AND BELIEVES THAT THEY MAY HAVE ENTERED UNAUTH AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED SMX, CA, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR LAS, NV. WE HAD A PRIMARY INVERTER FAIL, WHICH ALSO POPPED THE BUS TIE CIRCUIT BREAKER. I LOST MY INSTS AND USED THE PEANUT GYRO TO STRAIGHTEN THE AIRPLANE OUT OF A BANKED TURN. WE RESET MY CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE PRIMARY INVERTER AND REGAINED MY HORIZON AND OTHER INSTS AND REQUESTED A RADAR VECTOR BACK TO SMX FOR A LNDG. ATC VECTORED US FOR A BACK COURSE APCH, AND WE LANDED. WE CALLED FOR AN A&P MECH TO TROUBLESHOOT AND FIND THE PROB. AFTER AN EXTENSIVE CHK, WE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROB ON THE GND SO WE CALLED AN FBO AT LAS FOR A MORE EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE ELECTRICAL SYS UPON OUR ARR AT LAS. ON DEPARTING A SECOND TIME, WE HAD A SIMILAR PROB BUT WITH A DIFFERENT BUS. I RESET THE BREAKER AND IT STAYED IN. WE CONTINUED TO LAS SINCE WE MADE ARRANGEMENTS AT THE FBO FOR AN EXTENSIVE MAINT CHK. THE WX WAS VFR FOR OUR ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. WHEN RETURNING, ONE OF THE PAX INFORMED ME THAT WE MAY HAVE ENTERED VANDENBURG AFB AIRSPACE ON THE PRECEDING DAY'S FLT. NEITHER MY FO NOR I WERE AWARE OF THIS SINCE WE BOTH HAVE NEVER FLOWN OUT OF SMX BEFORE.

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.