Narrative:

On nov/sun/05 at approximately XA45; after filing an ADIZ flight plan to return from ZZZ3 to ZZZ; and after a thorough preflight check; I took off from ZZZ3 and headed toward ZZZ; using a GPS for navigation. Near ZZZ4; shortly after takeoff; I called approach and requested my squawk code for entry into the ADIZ. I received the code and entered it into the transponder. Approach called me back and said they did not receive my transponder signal; and asked me to recycle. I did so. Approach told me that they still did not get my code; and told me I could not enter the ADIZ without it. I told approach that I would proceed towards ZZZ5 and try again from there; staying wide of the ADIZ and class B. Approach told me that I needed to be above 2600 ft to cross the restr zone X but I was at approximately 4500 ft; so this was not a problem. Approach tried to get my signal from a number of other locations; but did not receive it. After this conversation; my instrument panel; including my GPS and radios; flashed off; and then on again. I called approach and said that I thought I might have 'another problem.' at this point; my panel flashed on and off again; and then my GPS/navigation/communication #1 went black. I turned off all peripheral electric devices and changed to communication #2; which still had a lit display. I called approach to declare an emergency. No response. I called ZZZ tower; but as I called; my communication #2 and everything else in the plane went dead. I checked the breakers; flicked a couple of switches on and off; to no effect. It was a clear; calm night with good visibility. I determined that I had more than 3 hours of fuel left; and started scanning for green/white airport beacons. I did not see any beacons for several mins; then I spotted one to my front right. I flew to the beacon; hoping it was ZZZ. It turned out to be ZZZ2. When I realized where I was; I also realized that I could not safely land at ZZZ2; although I could see the runways well. I was concerned that if I attempted to land there; I might cross the path of a jet airliner taking off; landing or taxiing. I considered that this might turn one person's problem into a problem for 200 people; and I considered that unacceptable. I made some turns; looking for an alternative; hoping to use ZZZ2 to orient myself to find another nearby beacon; such as ZZZ; ZZZ5 or ZZZ6. At first I saw nothing; but then I spotted a beacon in the distance. I left ZZZ2 behind; and approached the beacon. When I got there I saw aircraft on the ground; but could not find the runway. I circled but did not find it. I could not turn on the runway lights because my radio was dead. I knew I could not land there; so I headed back in the direction of ZZZ2 hoping to find some other alternative. I figured I was on the west side of ZZZ2 and tried to find ZZZ with ZZZ2 as a reference. This proved fruitless. There is a lot of light pollution around ZZZ and it has a notoriously weak beacon that is hard to see even if you know where it is exactly. I considered again landing at ZZZ; but I figured it was a sunday night; and it would be very busy. I considered that large jets do not have much ability to avoid obstacles; and that they move fast enough that I might not be able to avoid them. I saw some jets in the pattern far off and stayed away from them. I thought that I probably had still 2+ hours of available fuel left; so I made a decision to turn toward the southeast in an attempt to pick up ZZZ; or ZZZ6 or ZZZ3 or ZZZ4 where I could land (assuming the strips were lit) without endangering other large aircraft or passenger. As I turned this direction; a large; fast-moving plane came from my left and swooped in front and above me; perhaps 500 ft. The aircraft made a sharp left turn. In response; I descended sharply; and also made a left turn. When I did so; I saw the unmistakable display of ZZZ runways 16L and 16R dead in front of me; perhaps 5-8 mi away. Both runways were lit up brightly; and the 'rabbit' was on runway 16L. I was on a very long final for these runways. At that point I realized that the plane that had cut across my path probably intended to steer me in that direction. I accelerated toward ZZZ; and looked to see if anyone else was in the pattern. I did not see any other aircraft; so I approached runway 16R and set the plane down on that runway. I ws met by united states customs agents who took all of the information; checked my license and identify; and the registration of the plane; and asked me some questions. They asked me to call the tower; which I did. The tower knew of the situation and told me that they had no further questions for me. The customs agents had been flying the plane that intercepted me. They inspected the aircraft and found that my alternator belt had broken. This explained the power failure. I put the plane back in its hangar after the agents left and went by the FBO and asked them to repair the alternator belt and check the charging system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT LANDED AT AN ADIZ ARPT AFTER HIS ALTERNATOR BELT FAILED CAUSING A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. AN EMER WAS DECLARED.

Narrative: ON NOV/SUN/05 AT APPROX XA45; AFTER FILING AN ADIZ FLT PLAN TO RETURN FROM ZZZ3 TO ZZZ; AND AFTER A THOROUGH PREFLT CHK; I TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ3 AND HEADED TOWARD ZZZ; USING A GPS FOR NAV. NEAR ZZZ4; SHORTLY AFTER TKOF; I CALLED APCH AND REQUESTED MY SQUAWK CODE FOR ENTRY INTO THE ADIZ. I RECEIVED THE CODE AND ENTERED IT INTO THE XPONDER. APCH CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THEY DID NOT RECEIVE MY XPONDER SIGNAL; AND ASKED ME TO RECYCLE. I DID SO. APCH TOLD ME THAT THEY STILL DID NOT GET MY CODE; AND TOLD ME I COULD NOT ENTER THE ADIZ WITHOUT IT. I TOLD APCH THAT I WOULD PROCEED TOWARDS ZZZ5 AND TRY AGAIN FROM THERE; STAYING WIDE OF THE ADIZ AND CLASS B. APCH TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO BE ABOVE 2600 FT TO CROSS THE RESTR ZONE X BUT I WAS AT APPROX 4500 FT; SO THIS WAS NOT A PROB. APCH TRIED TO GET MY SIGNAL FROM A NUMBER OF OTHER LOCATIONS; BUT DID NOT RECEIVE IT. AFTER THIS CONVERSATION; MY INST PANEL; INCLUDING MY GPS AND RADIOS; FLASHED OFF; AND THEN ON AGAIN. I CALLED APCH AND SAID THAT I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE 'ANOTHER PROB.' AT THIS POINT; MY PANEL FLASHED ON AND OFF AGAIN; AND THEN MY GPS/NAV/COM #1 WENT BLACK. I TURNED OFF ALL PERIPHERAL ELECTRIC DEVICES AND CHANGED TO COM #2; WHICH STILL HAD A LIT DISPLAY. I CALLED APCH TO DECLARE AN EMER. NO RESPONSE. I CALLED ZZZ TWR; BUT AS I CALLED; MY COM #2 AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE PLANE WENT DEAD. I CHKED THE BREAKERS; FLICKED A COUPLE OF SWITCHES ON AND OFF; TO NO EFFECT. IT WAS A CLR; CALM NIGHT WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. I DETERMINED THAT I HAD MORE THAN 3 HRS OF FUEL LEFT; AND STARTED SCANNING FOR GREEN/WHITE ARPT BEACONS. I DID NOT SEE ANY BEACONS FOR SEVERAL MINS; THEN I SPOTTED ONE TO MY FRONT R. I FLEW TO THE BEACON; HOPING IT WAS ZZZ. IT TURNED OUT TO BE ZZZ2. WHEN I REALIZED WHERE I WAS; I ALSO REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT SAFELY LAND AT ZZZ2; ALTHOUGH I COULD SEE THE RWYS WELL. I WAS CONCERNED THAT IF I ATTEMPTED TO LAND THERE; I MIGHT CROSS THE PATH OF A JET AIRLINER TAKING OFF; LNDG OR TAXIING. I CONSIDERED THAT THIS MIGHT TURN ONE PERSON'S PROB INTO A PROB FOR 200 PEOPLE; AND I CONSIDERED THAT UNACCEPTABLE. I MADE SOME TURNS; LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE; HOPING TO USE ZZZ2 TO ORIENT MYSELF TO FIND ANOTHER NEARBY BEACON; SUCH AS ZZZ; ZZZ5 OR ZZZ6. AT FIRST I SAW NOTHING; BUT THEN I SPOTTED A BEACON IN THE DISTANCE. I LEFT ZZZ2 BEHIND; AND APCHED THE BEACON. WHEN I GOT THERE I SAW ACFT ON THE GND; BUT COULD NOT FIND THE RWY. I CIRCLED BUT DID NOT FIND IT. I COULD NOT TURN ON THE RWY LIGHTS BECAUSE MY RADIO WAS DEAD. I KNEW I COULD NOT LAND THERE; SO I HEADED BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF ZZZ2 HOPING TO FIND SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE. I FIGURED I WAS ON THE W SIDE OF ZZZ2 AND TRIED TO FIND ZZZ WITH ZZZ2 AS A REF. THIS PROVED FRUITLESS. THERE IS A LOT OF LIGHT POLLUTION AROUND ZZZ AND IT HAS A NOTORIOUSLY WEAK BEACON THAT IS HARD TO SEE EVEN IF YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS EXACTLY. I CONSIDERED AGAIN LNDG AT ZZZ; BUT I FIGURED IT WAS A SUNDAY NIGHT; AND IT WOULD BE VERY BUSY. I CONSIDERED THAT LARGE JETS DO NOT HAVE MUCH ABILITY TO AVOID OBSTACLES; AND THAT THEY MOVE FAST ENOUGH THAT I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AVOID THEM. I SAW SOME JETS IN THE PATTERN FAR OFF AND STAYED AWAY FROM THEM. I THOUGHT THAT I PROBABLY HAD STILL 2+ HRS OF AVAILABLE FUEL LEFT; SO I MADE A DECISION TO TURN TOWARD THE SE IN AN ATTEMPT TO PICK UP ZZZ; OR ZZZ6 OR ZZZ3 OR ZZZ4 WHERE I COULD LAND (ASSUMING THE STRIPS WERE LIT) WITHOUT ENDANGERING OTHER LARGE ACFT OR PAX. AS I TURNED THIS DIRECTION; A LARGE; FAST-MOVING PLANE CAME FROM MY L AND SWOOPED IN FRONT AND ABOVE ME; PERHAPS 500 FT. THE ACFT MADE A SHARP L TURN. IN RESPONSE; I DSNDED SHARPLY; AND ALSO MADE A L TURN. WHEN I DID SO; I SAW THE UNMISTAKABLE DISPLAY OF ZZZ RWYS 16L AND 16R DEAD IN FRONT OF ME; PERHAPS 5-8 MI AWAY. BOTH RWYS WERE LIT UP BRIGHTLY; AND THE 'RABBIT' WAS ON RWY 16L. I WAS ON A VERY LONG FINAL FOR THESE RWYS. AT THAT POINT I REALIZED THAT THE PLANE THAT HAD CUT ACROSS MY PATH PROBABLY INTENDED TO STEER ME IN THAT DIRECTION. I ACCELERATED TOWARD ZZZ; AND LOOKED TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE WAS IN THE PATTERN. I DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER ACFT; SO I APCHED RWY 16R AND SET THE PLANE DOWN ON THAT RWY. I WS MET BY UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AGENTS WHO TOOK ALL OF THE INFO; CHKED MY LICENSE AND IDENT; AND THE REGISTRATION OF THE PLANE; AND ASKED ME SOME QUESTIONS. THEY ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR; WHICH I DID. THE TWR KNEW OF THE SITUATION AND TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME. THE CUSTOMS AGENTS HAD BEEN FLYING THE PLANE THAT INTERCEPTED ME. THEY INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND THAT MY ALTERNATOR BELT HAD BROKEN. THIS EXPLAINED THE PWR FAILURE. I PUT THE PLANE BACK IN ITS HANGAR AFTER THE AGENTS LEFT AND WENT BY THE FBO AND ASKED THEM TO REPAIR THE ALTERNATOR BELT AND CHK THE CHARGING SYS.

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.