PA32 pilot has total electric and electronic failure; returns for landing lost communication; enters...

Attributes
ACN	695797
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sua.airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sua.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 425 flight time type : 375
ASRS Report	695797
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I took a local pleasure flight with 2 passenger. A normal run-up was done with alternator function normal. After about 1 hour of flight time; I headed back to the airport. About 15 mi from sua; my radios flickered and went out and shortly thereafter; the rest of the electronics went out. I had a handheld radio but both rechargeable batteries were dead. I circled until this was determined and a course of action was planned. I was directly west of runway 12; so I headed southeast to enter the normal right downwind for runway 12; 2 planes were sighted in the pattern on downwind so I fell in behind them. About 1/2 way down the runway on downwind; I rocked my wings and saw a green light; confirmed with my passenger; and checked again to confirm the green light. I followed traffic on base and final at a safe distance; landed; and got off the runway as soon as possible; and taxied to the FBO. After parking; security told me to call the tower which I was getting ready to do. ATC at the tower told me that they never saw me and that they had cleared a jet to land. The jet saw me on final as he was entering base and did a 360 degree turn. The tower had radar and did not pick me up and the TCAS on the jet did not pick me up due to the transponder being off. The tower could not see me on final due to the low angle of the sun to the west. After hearing this; I figured that the green light was the sun reflecting off the green windows of the tower. The tower told me that I should have flown over the runway at 1000 ft so that they could see me. The regulations; from what I read; say to enter the pattern and look for the lights. I did this and thought I had seen the green light to land. 2 main things that might help in this situation in the future are using gray windows or some other color in the control tower; and to make sure that replaceable batteries are available for the handheld radio.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT HAS TOTAL ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC FAILURE; RETURNS FOR LNDG LOST COM; ENTERS PATTERN AND CAUSES ANOTHER ACFT TO EXECUTE A GAR.

Narrative: I TOOK A LCL PLEASURE FLT WITH 2 PAX. A NORMAL RUN-UP WAS DONE WITH ALTERNATOR FUNCTION NORMAL. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF FLT TIME; I HEADED BACK TO THE ARPT. ABOUT 15 MI FROM SUA; MY RADIOS FLICKERED AND WENT OUT AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE REST OF THE ELECTRONICS WENT OUT. I HAD A HANDHELD RADIO BUT BOTH RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES WERE DEAD. I CIRCLED UNTIL THIS WAS DETERMINED AND A COURSE OF ACTION WAS PLANNED. I WAS DIRECTLY W OF RWY 12; SO I HEADED SE TO ENTER THE NORMAL R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12; 2 PLANES WERE SIGHTED IN THE PATTERN ON DOWNWIND SO I FELL IN BEHIND THEM. ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY ON DOWNWIND; I ROCKED MY WINGS AND SAW A GREEN LIGHT; CONFIRMED WITH MY PAX; AND CHKED AGAIN TO CONFIRM THE GREEN LIGHT. I FOLLOWED TFC ON BASE AND FINAL AT A SAFE DISTANCE; LANDED; AND GOT OFF THE RWY ASAP; AND TAXIED TO THE FBO. AFTER PARKING; SECURITY TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR WHICH I WAS GETTING READY TO DO. ATC AT THE TWR TOLD ME THAT THEY NEVER SAW ME AND THAT THEY HAD CLRED A JET TO LAND. THE JET SAW ME ON FINAL AS HE WAS ENTERING BASE AND DID A 360 DEG TURN. THE TWR HAD RADAR AND DID NOT PICK ME UP AND THE TCAS ON THE JET DID NOT PICK ME UP DUE TO THE XPONDER BEING OFF. THE TWR COULD NOT SEE ME ON FINAL DUE TO THE LOW ANGLE OF THE SUN TO THE W. AFTER HEARING THIS; I FIGURED THAT THE GREEN LIGHT WAS THE SUN REFLECTING OFF THE GREEN WINDOWS OF THE TWR. THE TWR TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN OVER THE RWY AT 1000 FT SO THAT THEY COULD SEE ME. THE REGS; FROM WHAT I READ; SAY TO ENTER THE PATTERN AND LOOK FOR THE LIGHTS. I DID THIS AND THOUGHT I HAD SEEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO LAND. 2 MAIN THINGS THAT MIGHT HELP IN THIS SITUATION IN THE FUTURE ARE USING GRAY WINDOWS OR SOME OTHER COLOR IN THE CTL TWR; AND TO MAKE SURE THAT REPLACEABLE BATTERIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE HANDHELD RADIO.

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.

PA32 pilot has total electric and electronic failure; returns for landing lost communication; enters pattern and causes another aircraft to execute a go around.