Narrative:

On october/xa/99 at approximately XA30, I was flying alone in an IFR-equipped C182 in visual conditions over northeastern nj. About 67 NM wnw of white plains airport, I experienced a total electronics and electrical failure and made a communication-out emergency landing at white plains. Analysis: 1) deciding to land. I think this was a pretty good decision, considering the time of day, proximity to the busy new york airspace, the lack of navaids, lights and transponder, and my worry about a progressive failure. 2) selection of hpn. This, too, was a good decision. First, I could see it. I have been there many times and knew the field. While it is a busy airport, I also knew it had a less-heavily used secondary runway. Turning around to morristown or going farther, to say danbury or hartford, would have required more guess-work and navigation, so voting for 'a bird in the hand' was the right choice. 3) troubleshooting the failure. The problem was an electrical failure, not an electronics failure. But initially I handled it as an avionics-only problem and it never occurred to me that electrical system, like flaps, would be affected by the same single-point failure that took out the electronics. This resulted in me being high and hot, and directly resulted in the crossing of the active runway. Dumb mistake -- I should have thought that one through. 4) continuing with the landing without flaps. When I discovered the flaps were not functioning, I thought about going around. But then I considered the difficulties of flying through a busy pattern without radios, or the possibility my problem was progressively worsening, and I figured the best plan was just the simplest one -- slip it in and land it. 5) light signals. Never saw them, if there were any, but I sure was watching. I suspect the tower did not see me in time for their use to be effective. 6) flying the 'lost-communication' triangle. I also considered this, after squawking 7700 and running through the checklist. Decided against it because a) the probability that the new york controller had stopped paying attention to my track once I stopped talking to him outside the class B, B) uncertainty about my fuel, once I started to waste time flying triangles, and C) the deteriorating ability of the tower to track me visually once the sun set. 7) back-up communications. I own a hand-held radio, which I had stopped carrying in the plane after 7 yrs because nothing had ever happened and I was getting tired of changing the batteries every 3 months. Also, I had a cell phone with me and completely forgot about using it. I could have called ahead to the tower, using 911, and this whole situation could have been much more easily resolved. Neither of those events will happen again, to be sure. Results: overall, this story has a happy ending. I greatly appreciate the help westchester tower provided in holding any departing traffic, clearing both runways, and putting the crash trucks on alert. The airplane is currently getting a full avionics and electrical check-up. As for my plting skills, I was very pleased with the general handling of the situation and the training I have received clearly prepared me for this type of event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 HAS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. PLT ELECTS TO DIVERT TO FAMILIAR ARPT AND LAND AS NIGHT IS APCHING.

Narrative: ON OCTOBER/XA/99 AT APPROX XA30, I WAS FLYING ALONE IN AN IFR-EQUIPPED C182 IN VISUAL CONDITIONS OVER NORTHEASTERN NJ. ABOUT 67 NM WNW OF WHITE PLAINS ARPT, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND MADE A COM-OUT EMER LNDG AT WHITE PLAINS. ANALYSIS: 1) DECIDING TO LAND. I THINK THIS WAS A PRETTY GOOD DECISION, CONSIDERING THE TIME OF DAY, PROX TO THE BUSY NEW YORK AIRSPACE, THE LACK OF NAVAIDS, LIGHTS AND XPONDER, AND MY WORRY ABOUT A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE. 2) SELECTION OF HPN. THIS, TOO, WAS A GOOD DECISION. FIRST, I COULD SEE IT. I HAVE BEEN THERE MANY TIMES AND KNEW THE FIELD. WHILE IT IS A BUSY ARPT, I ALSO KNEW IT HAD A LESS-HEAVILY USED SECONDARY RWY. TURNING AROUND TO MORRISTOWN OR GOING FARTHER, TO SAY DANBURY OR HARTFORD, WOULD HAVE REQUIRED MORE GUESS-WORK AND NAV, SO VOTING FOR 'A BIRD IN THE HAND' WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE. 3) TROUBLESHOOTING THE FAILURE. THE PROB WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE, NOT AN ELECTRONICS FAILURE. BUT INITIALLY I HANDLED IT AS AN AVIONICS-ONLY PROB AND IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT ELECTRICAL SYS, LIKE FLAPS, WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE SAME SINGLE-POINT FAILURE THAT TOOK OUT THE ELECTRONICS. THIS RESULTED IN ME BEING HIGH AND HOT, AND DIRECTLY RESULTED IN THE XING OF THE ACTIVE RWY. DUMB MISTAKE -- I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ONE THROUGH. 4) CONTINUING WITH THE LNDG WITHOUT FLAPS. WHEN I DISCOVERED THE FLAPS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING, I THOUGHT ABOUT GOING AROUND. BUT THEN I CONSIDERED THE DIFFICULTIES OF FLYING THROUGH A BUSY PATTERN WITHOUT RADIOS, OR THE POSSIBILITY MY PROB WAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSENING, AND I FIGURED THE BEST PLAN WAS JUST THE SIMPLEST ONE -- SLIP IT IN AND LAND IT. 5) LIGHT SIGNALS. NEVER SAW THEM, IF THERE WERE ANY, BUT I SURE WAS WATCHING. I SUSPECT THE TWR DID NOT SEE ME IN TIME FOR THEIR USE TO BE EFFECTIVE. 6) FLYING THE 'LOST-COM' TRIANGLE. I ALSO CONSIDERED THIS, AFTER SQUAWKING 7700 AND RUNNING THROUGH THE CHKLIST. DECIDED AGAINST IT BECAUSE A) THE PROBABILITY THAT THE NEW YORK CTLR HAD STOPPED PAYING ATTN TO MY TRACK ONCE I STOPPED TALKING TO HIM OUTSIDE THE CLASS B, B) UNCERTAINTY ABOUT MY FUEL, ONCE I STARTED TO WASTE TIME FLYING TRIANGLES, AND C) THE DETERIORATING ABILITY OF THE TWR TO TRACK ME VISUALLY ONCE THE SUN SET. 7) BACK-UP COMS. I OWN A HAND-HELD RADIO, WHICH I HAD STOPPED CARRYING IN THE PLANE AFTER 7 YRS BECAUSE NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED AND I WAS GETTING TIRED OF CHANGING THE BATTERIES EVERY 3 MONTHS. ALSO, I HAD A CELL PHONE WITH ME AND COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT USING IT. I COULD HAVE CALLED AHEAD TO THE TWR, USING 911, AND THIS WHOLE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE EASILY RESOLVED. NEITHER OF THOSE EVENTS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, TO BE SURE. RESULTS: OVERALL, THIS STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING. I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE HELP WESTCHESTER TWR PROVIDED IN HOLDING ANY DEPARTING TFC, CLRING BOTH RWYS, AND PUTTING THE CRASH TRUCKS ON ALERT. THE AIRPLANE IS CURRENTLY GETTING A FULL AVIONICS AND ELECTRICAL CHK-UP. AS FOR MY PLTING SKILLS, I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE GENERAL HANDLING OF THE SIT AND THE TRAINING I HAVE RECEIVED CLRLY PREPARED ME FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT.

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.