Narrative:

We departed VJ1, va, for a VFR trip to 5d3, oh. No flight plan was filed. We contacted tri city approach, requested and received VFR flight following. We were assigned a discrete squawk code, radar idented, and subsequently handed off to ZID. Several mins later, we realized we were experiencing a heavy discharge from our battery. All unessential equipment was shut down and numerous attempts were made to contact ZID and advise them of our situation. However, no response from them was ever received. We also tried relaying the message to another aircraft, but this too was to no avail. At this point, to further conserve our remaining power, we shut down the remaining electrical equipment, including the aircraft's master switch. We continued VFR to ashland, ky, where we landed, charged the battery, and refueled. We also made 2 calls to flight service for WX updates. After some WX had passed, we again departed VFR for 5d3. Once again. No flight plan was filed. The remainder of the trip was uneventful with the ship's electrical system functioning properly. We requested and received RA's and, once again to our surprise, were assigned the same squawk code we'd had hours earlier. Around mansfield, oh, the controller was unable to initiate a handoff to the next sector so radar service was terminated, our squawk changed to 1200 and we were advised of a frequency to try mansfield approach. Upon establishing radar contact, we were once again assigned the same code. We commented on how strange this was to receive the same code, 3 times in 1 day at 3 separate times. Upon our arrival at 5d3, we were informed that the local police had been to the airport, inquiring as to whether anyone had heard from us. It was also mentioned that a search was being contemplated apparently in the kentucky area since we had, 'disappeared from radar' with ZID. I have always been under the impression that a 'primary target' could still be seen, even though no transponder reply was being received. If this is the case, I am at a loss to see how we could have, 'disappeared from the radar' scope. While it is heartening to know that someone was concerned for our well being, I find it disturbing to know that local people were upset and an unnecessary search was apparently almost launched because of what was really only a minor electrical emergency in good VFR WX conditions. We were not 'overdue' as no flight plan was ever filed and consequently no ETA established. Once again, it is not my intent to chastise an apparently well meaning and concerned controller. On the contrary, I have the utmost respect for ATC and think they do a wonderful job. In the future, I will try to keep closer tabs on the alternator output and notify ATC sooner of developing difficulties. Also, a handheld transceiver would have been of great assistance during this flight. Unfortunately, neither pilot onboard had brought his along.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT PROVIDED VFR ADVISORIES BY ZID AND MULTIPLE APCH CTL FACILITIES DIVERTS TO ANOTHER ARPT DUE TO GENERATOR FAILURE. UPON ARR AT DEST, PLT ADVISED THAT HE IS A SUBJECT IN AN ALNOT (ALERT NOTICE).

Narrative: WE DEPARTED VJ1, VA, FOR A VFR TRIP TO 5D3, OH. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. WE CONTACTED TRI CITY APCH, REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING. WE WERE ASSIGNED A DISCRETE SQUAWK CODE, RADAR IDENTED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY HANDED OFF TO ZID. SEVERAL MINS LATER, WE REALIZED WE WERE EXPERIENCING A HVY DISCHARGE FROM OUR BATTERY. ALL UNESSENTIAL EQUIP WAS SHUT DOWN AND NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CONTACT ZID AND ADVISE THEM OF OUR SIT. HOWEVER, NO RESPONSE FROM THEM WAS EVER RECEIVED. WE ALSO TRIED RELAYING THE MESSAGE TO ANOTHER ACFT, BUT THIS TOO WAS TO NO AVAIL. AT THIS POINT, TO FURTHER CONSERVE OUR REMAINING PWR, WE SHUT DOWN THE REMAINING ELECTRICAL EQUIP, INCLUDING THE ACFT'S MASTER SWITCH. WE CONTINUED VFR TO ASHLAND, KY, WHERE WE LANDED, CHARGED THE BATTERY, AND REFUELED. WE ALSO MADE 2 CALLS TO FLT SVC FOR WX UPDATES. AFTER SOME WX HAD PASSED, WE AGAIN DEPARTED VFR FOR 5D3. ONCE AGAIN. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH THE SHIP'S ELECTRICAL SYS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED RA'S AND, ONCE AGAIN TO OUR SURPRISE, WERE ASSIGNED THE SAME SQUAWK CODE WE'D HAD HRS EARLIER. AROUND MANSFIELD, OH, THE CTLR WAS UNABLE TO INITIATE A HDOF TO THE NEXT SECTOR SO RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, OUR SQUAWK CHANGED TO 1200 AND WE WERE ADVISED OF A FREQ TO TRY MANSFIELD APCH. UPON ESTABLISHING RADAR CONTACT, WE WERE ONCE AGAIN ASSIGNED THE SAME CODE. WE COMMENTED ON HOW STRANGE THIS WAS TO RECEIVE THE SAME CODE, 3 TIMES IN 1 DAY AT 3 SEPARATE TIMES. UPON OUR ARR AT 5D3, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE LCL POLICE HAD BEEN TO THE ARPT, INQUIRING AS TO WHETHER ANYONE HAD HEARD FROM US. IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT A SEARCH WAS BEING CONTEMPLATED APPARENTLY IN THE KENTUCKY AREA SINCE WE HAD, 'DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR' WITH ZID. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT A 'PRIMARY TARGET' COULD STILL BE SEEN, EVEN THOUGH NO XPONDER REPLY WAS BEING RECEIVED. IF THIS IS THE CASE, I AM AT A LOSS TO SEE HOW WE COULD HAVE, 'DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR' SCOPE. WHILE IT IS HEARTENING TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE WAS CONCERNED FOR OUR WELL BEING, I FIND IT DISTURBING TO KNOW THAT LCL PEOPLE WERE UPSET AND AN UNNECESSARY SEARCH WAS APPARENTLY ALMOST LAUNCHED BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS REALLY ONLY A MINOR ELECTRICAL EMER IN GOOD VFR WX CONDITIONS. WE WERE NOT 'OVERDUE' AS NO FLT PLAN WAS EVER FILED AND CONSEQUENTLY NO ETA ESTABLISHED. ONCE AGAIN, IT IS NOT MY INTENT TO CHASTISE AN APPARENTLY WELL MEANING AND CONCERNED CTLR. ON THE CONTRARY, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR ATC AND THINK THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL TRY TO KEEP CLOSER TABS ON THE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT AND NOTIFY ATC SOONER OF DEVELOPING DIFFICULTIES. ALSO, A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER WOULD HAVE BEEN OF GREAT ASSISTANCE DURING THIS FLT. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER PLT ONBOARD HAD BROUGHT HIS ALONG.

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.