Narrative:

I was flying VFR from ZZZ to ZZZ1. I would normally file IFR for this flight; but the WX had been very clear and stable. I did request and received TA's from ZZZ approach and subsequently ZZZ2 approach and ZZZ2 center. The flight was not eventful until I was approximately 45 mi from ZZZ1. It was then that center told me they had lost my transponder signal. I recycled the transponder and received another barely audible transmission from center. When repeated; I understood the controller was terminating radar services because he was not receiving my transponder. I continued trying to get the transponder to work when I noticed the radios had gone silent. I flipped through several frequencys without luck. I put 7600 in the transponder in case anybody picked it up. I noticed the alternator gauge was reading zero but more importantly that it did not budge when I turned off the alternator switch. I realized then I was experiencing a full electrical failure. I then switched the code from 7600 to 7700 but knew it was only a formality. Using my battery pwred GPS; I turned toward the nearest airport (ZZZ3); and went through alternator failure checklist. I tried to put down my landing gear and of course the pump did not work and I had no landing gear lights. Because I did not see any activity on ZZZ3 and; therefore; no one to come to my aid if needed; I turned toward ZZZ4; a slightly larger city and an airport with more activity. I quickly realized; however; that what I needed was a twred airport that could utilize a light gun to signal to me if it appeared my landing gear was down. The nearest twred airport was ZZZ1. I turned again to ZZZ1. I went through the emergency gear down checklist to familiarize myself with what I would have to do upon arrival in ZZZ1. I then reviewed the light signals from my knee board to know what to expect from the tower. I entered the ZZZ1 class C airspace at a low altitude and with a very focused scan trying to avoid other traffic. I entered the pattern at ZZZ1 after carefully scanning for traffic. I then proceeded to perform the emergency gear down procedure. I descended to approximately 400 ft and overflew the runway yawing the airplane abruptly as recommended in the emergency procedure expecting that would alert the tower I could not talk to them and that I was hoping my gear was down and locked. Because the tower at ZZZ1 is near the end of the active runway; I figured it would take the tower the time I took for another pass to get the light gun ready and signal me. I went around the pattern and again over the runway yawed the airplane and stared at the tower. There was no light. I thought perhaps they did not see me...I'll go by one more time. When completing my third pass; I saw the fire trucks pull onto the field and begin positioning themselves along various points adjacent to the runway. I decided it was time to try to land. I slowed to the slowest safe speed and right before touchdown I pulled the mixture to cutoff. Almost simultaneously; I touched down and realized the wheels were down. I quickly pushed the mixture to rich and kept the engine running and was able to taxi off the runway. I followed one of the fire engines to the ramp. The driver of the fire truck asked me what happened and I told him I had an electrical failure. He said that's what the tower figured. He then said the tower tried to signal me but the light gun didn't work; and that they had changed batteries but the gun still did not work. The next day the alternator was replaced and I flew to ZZZ without incident. I learned that I should expect gauges to work and not ignore them just because they have been inaccurate in the past. I learned a battery pwred GPS and a handheld radio are essential in airplanes. I have tried to analyze what option I had to entering class C airspace without 2-WAY communication at ZZZ1; but due to the emergency; I don't think I had a better alternative. I learned from the control tower supervisor that after you overfly the runway they prefer you circle 'off' the field while you wait for a light signal. Frankly; I had never heard this before. Lastly; I learned I should say goodbye to my wife and children before we head out the door each morning. You never know what life has in store.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PVT PLT EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1. I WOULD NORMALLY FILE IFR FOR THIS FLT; BUT THE WX HAD BEEN VERY CLR AND STABLE. I DID REQUEST AND RECEIVED TA'S FROM ZZZ APCH AND SUBSEQUENTLY ZZZ2 APCH AND ZZZ2 CTR. THE FLT WAS NOT EVENTFUL UNTIL I WAS APPROX 45 MI FROM ZZZ1. IT WAS THEN THAT CTR TOLD ME THEY HAD LOST MY XPONDER SIGNAL. I RECYCLED THE XPONDER AND RECEIVED ANOTHER BARELY AUDIBLE XMISSION FROM CTR. WHEN REPEATED; I UNDERSTOOD THE CTLR WAS TERMINATING RADAR SVCS BECAUSE HE WAS NOT RECEIVING MY XPONDER. I CONTINUED TRYING TO GET THE XPONDER TO WORK WHEN I NOTICED THE RADIOS HAD GONE SILENT. I FLIPPED THROUGH SEVERAL FREQS WITHOUT LUCK. I PUT 7600 IN THE XPONDER IN CASE ANYBODY PICKED IT UP. I NOTICED THE ALTERNATOR GAUGE WAS READING ZERO BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT IT DID NOT BUDGE WHEN I TURNED OFF THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH. I REALIZED THEN I WAS EXPERIENCING A FULL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I THEN SWITCHED THE CODE FROM 7600 TO 7700 BUT KNEW IT WAS ONLY A FORMALITY. USING MY BATTERY PWRED GPS; I TURNED TOWARD THE NEAREST ARPT (ZZZ3); AND WENT THROUGH ALTERNATOR FAILURE CHKLIST. I TRIED TO PUT DOWN MY LNDG GEAR AND OF COURSE THE PUMP DID NOT WORK AND I HAD NO LNDG GEAR LIGHTS. BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE ANY ACTIVITY ON ZZZ3 AND; THEREFORE; NO ONE TO COME TO MY AID IF NEEDED; I TURNED TOWARD ZZZ4; A SLIGHTLY LARGER CITY AND AN ARPT WITH MORE ACTIVITY. I QUICKLY REALIZED; HOWEVER; THAT WHAT I NEEDED WAS A TWRED ARPT THAT COULD UTILIZE A LIGHT GUN TO SIGNAL TO ME IF IT APPEARED MY LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN. THE NEAREST TWRED ARPT WAS ZZZ1. I TURNED AGAIN TO ZZZ1. I WENT THROUGH THE EMER GEAR DOWN CHKLIST TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH WHAT I WOULD HAVE TO DO UPON ARR IN ZZZ1. I THEN REVIEWED THE LIGHT SIGNALS FROM MY KNEE BOARD TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE TWR. I ENTERED THE ZZZ1 CLASS C AIRSPACE AT A LOW ALT AND WITH A VERY FOCUSED SCAN TRYING TO AVOID OTHER TFC. I ENTERED THE PATTERN AT ZZZ1 AFTER CAREFULLY SCANNING FOR TFC. I THEN PROCEEDED TO PERFORM THE EMER GEAR DOWN PROC. I DSNDED TO APPROX 400 FT AND OVERFLEW THE RWY YAWING THE AIRPLANE ABRUPTLY AS RECOMMENDED IN THE EMER PROC EXPECTING THAT WOULD ALERT THE TWR I COULD NOT TALK TO THEM AND THAT I WAS HOPING MY GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. BECAUSE THE TWR AT ZZZ1 IS NEAR THE END OF THE ACTIVE RWY; I FIGURED IT WOULD TAKE THE TWR THE TIME I TOOK FOR ANOTHER PASS TO GET THE LIGHT GUN READY AND SIGNAL ME. I WENT AROUND THE PATTERN AND AGAIN OVER THE RWY YAWED THE AIRPLANE AND STARED AT THE TWR. THERE WAS NO LIGHT. I THOUGHT PERHAPS THEY DID NOT SEE ME...I'LL GO BY ONE MORE TIME. WHEN COMPLETING MY THIRD PASS; I SAW THE FIRE TRUCKS PULL ONTO THE FIELD AND BEGIN POSITIONING THEMSELVES ALONG VARIOUS POINTS ADJACENT TO THE RWY. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO TRY TO LAND. I SLOWED TO THE SLOWEST SAFE SPD AND RIGHT BEFORE TOUCHDOWN I PULLED THE MIXTURE TO CUTOFF. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY; I TOUCHED DOWN AND REALIZED THE WHEELS WERE DOWN. I QUICKLY PUSHED THE MIXTURE TO RICH AND KEPT THE ENG RUNNING AND WAS ABLE TO TAXI OFF THE RWY. I FOLLOWED ONE OF THE FIRE ENGS TO THE RAMP. THE DRIVER OF THE FIRE TRUCK ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED AND I TOLD HIM I HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. HE SAID THAT'S WHAT THE TWR FIGURED. HE THEN SAID THE TWR TRIED TO SIGNAL ME BUT THE LIGHT GUN DIDN'T WORK; AND THAT THEY HAD CHANGED BATTERIES BUT THE GUN STILL DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT DAY THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AND I FLEW TO ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. I LEARNED THAT I SHOULD EXPECT GAUGES TO WORK AND NOT IGNORE THEM JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN INACCURATE IN THE PAST. I LEARNED A BATTERY PWRED GPS AND A HANDHELD RADIO ARE ESSENTIAL IN AIRPLANES. I HAVE TRIED TO ANALYZE WHAT OPTION I HAD TO ENTERING CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT 2-WAY COM AT ZZZ1; BUT DUE TO THE EMER; I DON'T THINK I HAD A BETTER ALTERNATIVE. I LEARNED FROM THE CTL TWR SUPVR THAT AFTER YOU OVERFLY THE RWY THEY PREFER YOU CIRCLE 'OFF' THE FIELD WHILE YOU WAIT FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL. FRANKLY; I HAD NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE. LASTLY; I LEARNED I SHOULD SAY GOODBYE TO MY WIFE AND CHILDREN BEFORE WE HEAD OUT THE DOOR EACH MORNING. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT LIFE HAS IN STORE.

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.