Narrative:

I was flying a club plane that had a recent history of transponder problem. There was a note to advise maintenance of any further problem. Problem occurred on the last leg of a two day trip. Also, this was the first day that general aviation was allowed to fly following the terrorist attacks. All flts were controled, and we were being warned to review intercept procedures. I was first aware of a problem when indy center informed me that they were no longer receiving my transponder. Because of the history of a problem, I thought this was just the transponder acting up. As I tried recycling, turning off and on, giggling the connection wires, I lost contact with center. Radio one went out (navigation and comm). I continued to search for a wiring problem and radio one came back on. I spoke with indy center and they asked for position report, which I gave. As I continued to fly, I lost contact again. I was unable to get radio one back so eventually I switched to radio two. Indy center told me I needed to land and have the transponder fixed. As they were checking to tell me which airport was closest (I was between london, knoxville and asheville) I lost contact again. I never regained contact. My flight plan was to asheville and that was about as close as the other airports mentioned so I continued on. In retrospect, I had lost an alternator and consequently suffered electrical failure. Because this plane had a history of a transponder problem I had become fixated on this. Also, the layout of instruments in a cessna 172 does not allow one to see the ammeter without making an effort and continuously thinking to look. If I would have realized what was transpiring, I could have shut down lights and instruments in time to perhaps maintain radio contact. Also given my state of mind. I focused on staying VFR, flying over the mountain with no instrument aid, watching for traffic and landing so I could get this experience behind me. As I approached the airport, I was mostly focused on watching for traffic and I entered the pattern as you would for VFR. I looked briefly at the tower, but I was not thinking of looking for light gun signals until after I was on the ground, out of the plane and the gentleman from the fire department asked if the tower had signaled me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA 172 HAS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL PWR FAILURE LOSING CONTACT WITH ATC AND PROCEEDS TO PLANNED DEST. CAUSED BY ALTERNATOR FAILURE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A CLUB PLANE THAT HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF TRANSPONDER PROBLEM. THERE WAS A NOTE TO ADVISE MAINT OF ANY FURTHER PROB. PROB OCCURRED ON THE LAST LEG OF A TWO DAY TRIP. ALSO, THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT GENERAL AVIATION WAS ALLOWED TO FLY FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS. ALL FLTS WERE CTLED, AND WE WERE BEING WARNED TO REVIEW INTERCEPT PROCEDURES. I WAS FIRST AWARE OF A PROB WHEN INDY CENTER INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY TRANSPONDER. BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY OF A PROB, I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST THE TRANSPONDER ACTING UP. AS I TRIED RECYCLING, TURNING OFF AND ON, GIGGLING THE CONNECTION WIRES, I LOST CONTACT WITH CENTER. RADIO ONE WENT OUT (NAV AND COMM). I CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR A WIRING PROBLEM AND RADIO ONE CAME BACK ON. I SPOKE WITH INDY CENTER AND THEY ASKED FOR POSITION REPORT, WHICH I GAVE. AS I CONTINUED TO FLY, I LOST CONTACT AGAIN. I WAS UNABLE TO GET RADIO ONE BACK SO EVENTUALLY I SWITCHED TO RADIO TWO. INDY CENTER TOLD ME I NEEDED TO LAND AND HAVE THE TRANSPONDER FIXED. AS THEY WERE CHECKING TO TELL ME WHICH AIRPORT WAS CLOSEST (I WAS BETWEEN LONDON, KNOXVILLE AND ASHEVILLE) I LOST CONTACT AGAIN. I NEVER REGAINED CONTACT. MY FLT PLAN WAS TO ASHEVILLE AND THAT WAS ABOUT AS CLOSE AS THE OTHER AIRPORTS MENTIONED SO I CONTINUED ON. IN RETROSPECT, I HAD LOST AN ALTERNATOR AND CONSEQUENTLY SUFFERED ELECTRICAL FAILURE. BECAUSE THIS PLANE HAD A HISTORY OF A TRANSPONDER PROBLEM I HAD BECOME FIXATED ON THIS. ALSO, THE LAYOUT OF INSTRUMENTS IN A CESSNA 172 DOES NOT ALLOW ONE TO SEE THE AMMETER WITHOUT MAKING AN EFFORT AND CONTINUOUSLY THINKING TO LOOK. IF I WOULD HAVE REALIZED WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING, I COULD HAVE SHUT DOWN LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENTS IN TIME TO PERHAPS MAINTAIN RADIO CONTACT. ALSO GIVEN MY STATE OF MIND. I FOCUSED ON STAYING VFR, FLYING OVER THE MOUNTAIN WITH NO INSTRUMENT AID, WATCHING FOR TFC AND LNDG SO I COULD GET THIS EXPERIENCE BEHIND ME. AS I APCHED THE ARPT, I WAS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON WATCHING FOR TFC AND I ENTERED THE PATTERN AS YOU WOULD FOR VFR. I LOOKED BRIEFLY AT THE TWR, BUT I WAS NOT THINKING OF LOOKING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS UNTIL AFTER I WAS ON THE GND, OUT OF THE PLANE AND THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE FIRE DEPT ASKED IF THE TWR HAD SIGNALED ME.

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.