Narrative:

Engine start at ZZZ1 required jumping the aircraft's battery from the lineman's truck. Once started; the aircraft's electrical system appeared to be functioning normally. While taxiing for departure; the radio intermittently transmitted to ground control; but operated for tower communications. While executing the departure climb; we experienced electrical system failure. The failure occurred immediately after the tower handoff to departure control during the initial climbing left turn toward the VOR. Radio frequency lights were blank/out; indicating no power from the alternator or battery. No circuit breakers were observed to have extended. Radio contact with handheld transceivers was attempted without success. The fpr was then flown. The transponder was left on 'altitude' at first in the event it was able to transmit the lost communication 7600 code. Approximately 10 mins into the flight; the aircraft's battery/alternator switches were turned off to preserve whatever power may have been available for landing operations. GPS receiver's internal batteries (not ship's power) were used to navigation. WX was night VMC with good visibility. While approaching ZZZ2; the battery/master switch was again turned on; which illuminated the external navigation lights momentarily. The comrdo frequency display and external position lights momentarily lit and a radio call was made to ZZZ2 tower with no response. The radio display and lights again failed at this point. After the last route fix on the flight plan; we proceeded to fly toward ZZZ2 paralleling the runway 24 ILS on the right side using the GPS receivers. Landing was made via short straight-in final approach onto runway 24. Human performance considerations: I presumed the flight was being followed on radar; so continued the route to the destination airport in night VMC. I chose to treat night VMC as if it were IMC lost communications and flew the fpr; believing the route was protected airspace for the proposed time of the flight with the aircraft's radar track being followed. My intention was to land safely at an airport with functioning runway lights. I considered landing at monmouth executive; robbinsville; and princeton; but each had pilot controled lighting which we would not be able to activate. I chose ZZZ2 as the most safe airport because it is most familiar to me and I believed the route was protected airspace where we were expected to be per our IFR flight plan and proposed time en route. Approaching ZZZ2; we attempted to listen to ATIS on handheld transceivers with no success. Since the airplane had no lights or radios; I chose not to circle the airport/tower believing it futile to be seen by engine sound alone for the tower to send a light gun signal. I believed circling an often busy airport with no lights or radio would be an unsafe choice. I chose to land on runway 24. The landing was made with a short final approach; and we quickly cleared the runway at the first taxiway. Upon landing I called the tower to advise on the above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN EXPERIENCES A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON DEP FROM A MAJOR INTL ARPT AND ELECTS TO CONTINUE IN NIGHT VMC TO FILED DEST WHERE A NORDO LONG IS MADE.

Narrative: ENG START AT ZZZ1 REQUIRED JUMPING THE ACFT'S BATTERY FROM THE LINEMAN'S TRUCK. ONCE STARTED; THE ACFT'S ELECTRICAL SYS APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. WHILE TAXIING FOR DEP; THE RADIO INTERMITTENTLY XMITTED TO GND CTL; BUT OPERATED FOR TWR COMS. WHILE EXECUTING THE DEP CLB; WE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TWR HDOF TO DEP CTL DURING THE INITIAL CLBING L TURN TOWARD THE VOR. RADIO FREQ LIGHTS WERE BLANK/OUT; INDICATING NO PWR FROM THE ALTERNATOR OR BATTERY. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE OBSERVED TO HAVE EXTENDED. RADIO CONTACT WITH HANDHELD TRANSCEIVERS WAS ATTEMPTED WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE FPR WAS THEN FLOWN. THE XPONDER WAS LEFT ON 'ALT' AT FIRST IN THE EVENT IT WAS ABLE TO XMIT THE LOST COM 7600 CODE. APPROX 10 MINS INTO THE FLT; THE ACFT'S BATTERY/ALTERNATOR SWITCHES WERE TURNED OFF TO PRESERVE WHATEVER PWR MAY HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR LNDG OPS. GPS RECEIVER'S INTERNAL BATTERIES (NOT SHIP'S PWR) WERE USED TO NAV. WX WAS NIGHT VMC WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. WHILE APCHING ZZZ2; THE BATTERY/MASTER SWITCH WAS AGAIN TURNED ON; WHICH ILLUMINATED THE EXTERNAL NAV LIGHTS MOMENTARILY. THE COMRDO FREQ DISPLAY AND EXTERNAL POS LIGHTS MOMENTARILY LIT AND A RADIO CALL WAS MADE TO ZZZ2 TWR WITH NO RESPONSE. THE RADIO DISPLAY AND LIGHTS AGAIN FAILED AT THIS POINT. AFTER THE LAST RTE FIX ON THE FLT PLAN; WE PROCEEDED TO FLY TOWARD ZZZ2 PARALLELING THE RWY 24 ILS ON THE R SIDE USING THE GPS RECEIVERS. LNDG WAS MADE VIA SHORT STRAIGHT-IN FINAL APCH ONTO RWY 24. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: I PRESUMED THE FLT WAS BEING FOLLOWED ON RADAR; SO CONTINUED THE RTE TO THE DEST ARPT IN NIGHT VMC. I CHOSE TO TREAT NIGHT VMC AS IF IT WERE IMC LOST COMS AND FLEW THE FPR; BELIEVING THE RTE WAS PROTECTED AIRSPACE FOR THE PROPOSED TIME OF THE FLT WITH THE ACFT'S RADAR TRACK BEING FOLLOWED. MY INTENTION WAS TO LAND SAFELY AT AN ARPT WITH FUNCTIONING RWY LIGHTS. I CONSIDERED LNDG AT MONMOUTH EXECUTIVE; ROBBINSVILLE; AND PRINCETON; BUT EACH HAD PLT CTLED LIGHTING WHICH WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE. I CHOSE ZZZ2 AS THE MOST SAFE ARPT BECAUSE IT IS MOST FAMILIAR TO ME AND I BELIEVED THE RTE WAS PROTECTED AIRSPACE WHERE WE WERE EXPECTED TO BE PER OUR IFR FLT PLAN AND PROPOSED TIME ENRTE. APCHING ZZZ2; WE ATTEMPTED TO LISTEN TO ATIS ON HANDHELD TRANSCEIVERS WITH NO SUCCESS. SINCE THE AIRPLANE HAD NO LIGHTS OR RADIOS; I CHOSE NOT TO CIRCLE THE ARPT/TWR BELIEVING IT FUTILE TO BE SEEN BY ENG SOUND ALONE FOR THE TWR TO SEND A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL. I BELIEVED CIRCLING AN OFTEN BUSY ARPT WITH NO LIGHTS OR RADIO WOULD BE AN UNSAFE CHOICE. I CHOSE TO LAND ON RWY 24. THE LNDG WAS MADE WITH A SHORT FINAL APCH; AND WE QUICKLY CLRED THE RWY AT THE FIRST TXWY. UPON LNDG I CALLED THE TWR TO ADVISE ON THE ABOVE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.