C172 pilot complied with all procedures for departing an airport within dc ADIZ. After takeoff he fo...

Narrative:

On 03/sat/03, at approximately XA45 I contacted bwi clearance delivery to obtain a transponder code and ATC frequency to depart from the montgomery county airpark gai airpark inside the dc ADIZ for a flight hgr. The purpose of the flight was to deliver the aircraft for its annual inspection. I received code and frequency 128.7, was told to head toward fdk until outside the ADIZ and I departed gai. Upon turning crosswind at about 1000 ft MSL, I attempted a call to ATC and received no response. I figured I would have to get higher before they could hear me. I continued my climb on course toward fdk and continued trying to reach ATC on 128.7 to no avail. I then noticed that readouts on both radios were alternating between dim and bright. Since this aircraft has a 12 volt electrical system, but has 28 volt radios powered by a separate power supply, I began to think the power supply had gone belly-up. I attempted several times to contact ATC via a hand held radio, but was unable to do so, probably due to hand held's relatively low power. At this time, I realized I had suffered a complete electrical failure after noticing that both fuel gauges were pegged on empty and nothing that was electrically pwred worked. Since I was now outside the ADIZ, I resumed my planned course which was gai - burgy intersection hgr. I selected this course to remain outside the enlarged P40 airspace. I was expecting to be intercepted at any moment, but never saw any other aircraft during the flight. Upon reaching the area near hgr, I was finally able to reach the hgr tower via my hand held when I was about 5 miles out. I explained my situation and was cleared to land immediately. After parking at the maintenance facility that would be performing the annual, I called the hgr tower and explained what had occurred in detail. They told me they had not heard from anyone attempting to follow-up or check on me. I don't believe there was anything else I could have done in this situation. The aircraft had been flown a week prior with no problem and there was no indication of any problem until it occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT COMPLIED WITH ALL PROCS FOR DEPARTING AN ARPT WITHIN DC ADIZ. AFTER TKOF HE FOUND THE ACFT HAD HAD COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE, THAT RENDERED HIS RADIOS AND XPONDER INOPERATIVE.

Narrative: ON 03/SAT/03, AT APPROX XA45 I CONTACTED BWI CLRNC DELIVERY TO OBTAIN A XPONDER CODE AND ATC FREQUENCY TO DEPART FROM THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK GAI AIRPARK INSIDE THE DC ADIZ FOR A FLT HGR. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO DELIVER THE ACFT FOR ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION. I RECEIVED CODE AND FREQUENCY 128.7, WAS TOLD TO HEAD TOWARD FDK UNTIL OUTSIDE THE ADIZ AND I DEPARTED GAI. UPON TURNING CROSSWIND AT ABOUT 1000 FT MSL, I ATTEMPTED A CALL TO ATC AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I FIGURED I WOULD HAVE TO GET HIGHER BEFORE THEY COULD HEAR ME. I CONTINUED MY CLB ON COURSE TOWARD FDK AND CONTINUED TRYING TO REACH ATC ON 128.7 TO NO AVAIL. I THEN NOTICED THAT READOUTS ON BOTH RADIOS WERE ALTERNATING BETWEEN DIM AND BRIGHT. SINCE THIS ACFT HAS A 12 VOLT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BUT HAS 28 VOLT RADIOS POWERED BY A SEPARATE POWER SUPPLY, I BEGAN TO THINK THE PWR SUPPLY HAD GONE BELLY-UP. I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT ATC VIA A HAND HELD RADIO, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, PROBABLY DUE TO HAND HELD'S RELATIVELY LOW PWR. AT THIS TIME, I REALIZED I HAD SUFFERED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AFTER NOTICING THAT BOTH FUEL GAUGES WERE PEGGED ON EMPTY AND NOTHING THAT WAS ELECTRICALLY PWRED WORKED. SINCE I WAS NOW OUTSIDE THE ADIZ, I RESUMED MY PLANNED COURSE WHICH WAS GAI - BURGY INTXN HGR. I SELECTED THIS COURSE TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ENLARGED P40 AIRSPACE. I WAS EXPECTING TO BE INTERCEPTED AT ANY MOMENT, BUT NEVER SAW ANY OTHER ACFT DURING THE FLT. UPON REACHING THE AREA NEAR HGR, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO REACH THE HGR TWR VIA MY HAND HELD WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 MILES OUT. I EXPLAINED MY SIT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. AFTER PARKING AT THE MAINT FACILITY THAT WOULD BE PERFORMING THE ANNUAL, I CALLED THE HGR TWR AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD OCCURRED IN DETAIL. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW-UP OR CHK ON ME. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE IN THIS SIT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN A WEEK PRIOR WITH NO PROB AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB UNTIL IT OCCURRED.

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.

Attributes
ACN	576351
Time
Date	200303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : fdk.vor
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon tower : hgr.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 376 flight time type : 144
ASRS Report	576351
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

C172 pilot complied with all procedures for departing an airport within dc ADIZ. After takeoff he found the aircraft had had complete electrical failure, that rendered his radios and transponder inoperative.