Narrative:

I experienced electrical output failure of the alternator at 11000 ft on top of all clouds and in the clear some 150 mi from destination, with 4+ hours fuel on board. Light icing conditions existed in the clouds with low IFR existing below and within a 100 mi radius of my position. I advised the ATC controller at ZID, declared an emergency and presented my plan of action: 1) I requested of ZID to look for VFR WX within range of my 4+ hours fuel range. 2) I advised of my flight conditions and announced that I would maintain present heading at 11000 ft and go off the air for 20 mins in order to conserve battery power for communication. This time off the air also enabled ATC to coordinate their resources and enabled me to set the cockpit up for no-electric partial panel flight with vacuum driven attitude indicator, magnetic compass, wrist watch fastened to the control yoke, 2 good flashlights (1 2-BATTERY pen light and 1 'D' cell light). 20 mins later, with communications back up, ZID had indeed located MVFR at huntington (hts) and special WX VFR 4000 overcast at charleston, (crw). Both stations advised ind by telephone that they could provide airport surveillance radar assistance for descent. I elected crw and requested to remain at altitude until over crw's airspace to plan an elliptical descent pattern if necessary at crw so as to make sure of the VFR suitability of the crw WX in the event of complete electrical failure and loss of communications. ZID agreed and handed me off early to crw approach some 60 mi out. Crw was able to let me go off the air and conserve 8 more mins of battery power. Communications back up with the 1 communication radio only 20 mi out, crw approach was able to give me rapid descent into their airspace -- making 2 ASR heading corrections to have me break free of all clouds on a wide downwind leg for crw runway 23 well clear of normal traffic flow. The ASR controller there at crw approach accomplished this with only the primary target of my airplane. Once on tower frequency and cleared to land, I was able to provide traffic with navigation and rotating beacon lights. Landing was without incident! Except that the battery power failed completely on clearing the runway and for taxi to the ramp. This report is respectfully submitted as proof positive that CRM works, and current safety training initiatives in CRM are paying off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PLT ENCOUNTERED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE FLYING IFR FROM ONA TO I43 ON TOP OF A CLOUD DECK AT 11000 FT.

Narrative: I EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL OUTPUT FAILURE OF THE ALTERNATOR AT 11000 FT ON TOP OF ALL CLOUDS AND IN THE CLEAR SOME 150 MI FROM DEST, WITH 4+ HRS FUEL ON BOARD. LIGHT ICING CONDITIONS EXISTED IN THE CLOUDS WITH LOW IFR EXISTING BELOW AND WITHIN A 100 MI RADIUS OF MY POSITION. I ADVISED THE ATC CTLR AT ZID, DECLARED AN EMER AND PRESENTED MY PLAN OF ACTION: 1) I REQUESTED OF ZID TO LOOK FOR VFR WX WITHIN RANGE OF MY 4+ HRS FUEL RANGE. 2) I ADVISED OF MY FLT CONDITIONS AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG AT 11000 FT AND GO OFF THE AIR FOR 20 MINS IN ORDER TO CONSERVE BATTERY PWR FOR COM. THIS TIME OFF THE AIR ALSO ENABLED ATC TO COORDINATE THEIR RESOURCES AND ENABLED ME TO SET THE COCKPIT UP FOR NO-ELECTRIC PARTIAL PANEL FLT WITH VACUUM DRIVEN ATTITUDE INDICATOR, MAGNETIC COMPASS, WRIST WATCH FASTENED TO THE CONTROL YOKE, 2 GOOD FLASHLIGHTS (1 2-BATTERY PEN LIGHT AND 1 'D' CELL LIGHT). 20 MINS LATER, WITH COMS BACK UP, ZID HAD INDEED LOCATED MVFR AT HUNTINGTON (HTS) AND SPECIAL WX VFR 4000 OVCST AT CHARLESTON, (CRW). BOTH STATIONS ADVISED IND BY TELEPHONE THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE ARPT SURVEILLANCE RADAR ASSISTANCE FOR DSCNT. I ELECTED CRW AND REQUESTED TO REMAIN AT ALT UNTIL OVER CRW'S AIRSPACE TO PLAN AN ELLIPTICAL DSCNT PATTERN IF NECESSARY AT CRW SO AS TO MAKE SURE OF THE VFR SUITABILITY OF THE CRW WX IN THE EVENT OF COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND LOSS OF COMS. ZID AGREED AND HANDED ME OFF EARLY TO CRW APCH SOME 60 MI OUT. CRW WAS ABLE TO LET ME GO OFF THE AIR AND CONSERVE 8 MORE MINS OF BATTERY PWR. COMS BACK UP WITH THE 1 COM RADIO ONLY 20 MI OUT, CRW APCH WAS ABLE TO GIVE ME RAPID DSCNT INTO THEIR AIRSPACE -- MAKING 2 ASR HDG CORRECTIONS TO HAVE ME BREAK FREE OF ALL CLOUDS ON A WIDE DOWNWIND LEG FOR CRW RWY 23 WELL CLR OF NORMAL TFC FLOW. THE ASR CTLR THERE AT CRW APCH ACCOMPLISHED THIS WITH ONLY THE PRIMARY TARGET OF MY AIRPLANE. ONCE ON TWR FREQ AND CLRED TO LAND, I WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE TFC WITH NAV AND ROTATING BEACON LIGHTS. LNDG WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT! EXCEPT THAT THE BATTERY PWR FAILED COMPLETELY ON CLRING THE RWY AND FOR TAXI TO THE RAMP. THIS RPT IS RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED AS PROOF POSITIVE THAT CRM WORKS, AND CURRENT SAFETY TRAINING INITIATIVES IN CRM ARE PAYING OFF.

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.