Narrative:

WX was VMC and I was flying my last clearance which was direct ZZZ1 to be followed by the STAR to ZZZ. However; upon total electrical failure and with center unable to hear portable transceiver; I elected to stay clear of class B after reaching ZZZ1. Having flown this route before; I know there is a progressive step down to below the class B shelf on the east side of ZZZ2 class B airspace. I proceeded to remain clear of class B and descend to a VFR altitude of 3500 ft (from 5000 ft) after clearing ZZZ1. I was using a portable GPS receiver and turned on the class B rings. I used the handheld transceiver's VOR CDI to back up the GPS. I would occasionally try transmitting on the transceiver but there was no reception probably due to lack of outside antenna. Since I had no transponder; no strobes and no position lights; I was constantly watching for approaching traffic. Fortunately; on a sunday evening; there was no low altitude traffic in my vicinity. When 15 mi from ZZZ; I descended to 2500 ft and turned on my powerful flashlight and set it in the window facing the airport. When 5 mi from the runway; I slowed to emergency gear release speed; put down the gear handle; pushed the emergency gear release and was rewarded with the sound of gear extension. Although I could feel the gear down; I could not tell if it was locked. I decided to turn on the master and carefully watch the gear indicators. Although the indicators were dim and flashing; all 3 were doing so. I decided this was as good an indication as I was to receive and decided that the gear was locked. By now; I'm close enough to the ZZZ tower that my handheld transceiver can be used and I was cleared for an emergency landing. Airport emergency trucks were already present when I landed and continued on to an uneventful turnoff. My only recommendation would be to the emergency crew. They blocked the taxiway and kept their lights on high beam which effectively blinded me as I turned on to the taxiway. While taxiing to the tie downs; the tower operator informed me that they had been watching my arrival and were expecting me. I don't know how they did that without a transponder but I am glad that ATC and approach were watching out for me and kept other aircraft away. This story has a happy ending because of the professionalism of the entire air traffic control system. They obviously were watching out for me and made sure all emergency services were waiting when I arrived. Two important things to recommend: 1) jack to allow portable transceiver to connect to external antenna; and 2) always carry a backup GPS receiver. My portable receiver allowed me to continue my flight navigation without any issues. My portable GPS unit is an ipaq with controlvision software plus xm radio WX downlink. Unfortunately; the WX downlink requires ship power. I know I will carry a spare power supply into which the entire downlink system can attach for at least 3 hours of flight time after electrical failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 EXPERIENCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON A FLT TO ZZZ. USING PORTABLE GPS AND TRANSCEIVER; HE WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE TO AND LAND AT DEST SAFELY.

Narrative: WX WAS VMC AND I WAS FLYING MY LAST CLRNC WHICH WAS DIRECT ZZZ1 TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE STAR TO ZZZ. HOWEVER; UPON TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND WITH CTR UNABLE TO HEAR PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER; I ELECTED TO STAY CLR OF CLASS B AFTER REACHING ZZZ1. HAVING FLOWN THIS RTE BEFORE; I KNOW THERE IS A PROGRESSIVE STEP DOWN TO BELOW THE CLASS B SHELF ON THE E SIDE OF ZZZ2 CLASS B AIRSPACE. I PROCEEDED TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AND DSND TO A VFR ALT OF 3500 FT (FROM 5000 FT) AFTER CLRING ZZZ1. I WAS USING A PORTABLE GPS RECEIVER AND TURNED ON THE CLASS B RINGS. I USED THE HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER'S VOR CDI TO BACK UP THE GPS. I WOULD OCCASIONALLY TRY XMITTING ON THE TRANSCEIVER BUT THERE WAS NO RECEPTION PROBABLY DUE TO LACK OF OUTSIDE ANTENNA. SINCE I HAD NO XPONDER; NO STROBES AND NO POS LIGHTS; I WAS CONSTANTLY WATCHING FOR APCHING TFC. FORTUNATELY; ON A SUNDAY EVENING; THERE WAS NO LOW ALT TFC IN MY VICINITY. WHEN 15 MI FROM ZZZ; I DSNDED TO 2500 FT AND TURNED ON MY POWERFUL FLASHLIGHT AND SET IT IN THE WINDOW FACING THE ARPT. WHEN 5 MI FROM THE RWY; I SLOWED TO EMER GEAR RELEASE SPD; PUT DOWN THE GEAR HANDLE; PUSHED THE EMER GEAR RELEASE AND WAS REWARDED WITH THE SOUND OF GEAR EXTENSION. ALTHOUGH I COULD FEEL THE GEAR DOWN; I COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS LOCKED. I DECIDED TO TURN ON THE MASTER AND CAREFULLY WATCH THE GEAR INDICATORS. ALTHOUGH THE INDICATORS WERE DIM AND FLASHING; ALL 3 WERE DOING SO. I DECIDED THIS WAS AS GOOD AN INDICATION AS I WAS TO RECEIVE AND DECIDED THAT THE GEAR WAS LOCKED. BY NOW; I'M CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE ZZZ TWR THAT MY HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER CAN BE USED AND I WAS CLRED FOR AN EMER LNDG. ARPT EMER TRUCKS WERE ALREADY PRESENT WHEN I LANDED AND CONTINUED ON TO AN UNEVENTFUL TURNOFF. MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO THE EMER CREW. THEY BLOCKED THE TXWY AND KEPT THEIR LIGHTS ON HIGH BEAM WHICH EFFECTIVELY BLINDED ME AS I TURNED ON TO THE TXWY. WHILE TAXIING TO THE TIE DOWNS; THE TWR OPERATOR INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN WATCHING MY ARR AND WERE EXPECTING ME. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID THAT WITHOUT A XPONDER BUT I AM GLAD THAT ATC AND APCH WERE WATCHING OUT FOR ME AND KEPT OTHER ACFT AWAY. THIS STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING BECAUSE OF THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE ENTIRE AIR TFC CTL SYS. THEY OBVIOUSLY WERE WATCHING OUT FOR ME AND MADE SURE ALL EMER SVCS WERE WAITING WHEN I ARRIVED. TWO IMPORTANT THINGS TO RECOMMEND: 1) JACK TO ALLOW PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER TO CONNECT TO EXTERNAL ANTENNA; AND 2) ALWAYS CARRY A BACKUP GPS RECEIVER. MY PORTABLE RECEIVER ALLOWED ME TO CONTINUE MY FLT NAV WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. MY PORTABLE GPS UNIT IS AN IPAQ WITH CONTROLVISION SOFTWARE PLUS XM RADIO WX DOWNLINK. UNFORTUNATELY; THE WX DOWNLINK REQUIRES SHIP PWR. I KNOW I WILL CARRY A SPARE PWR SUPPLY INTO WHICH THE ENTIRE DOWNLINK SYS CAN ATTACH FOR AT LEAST 3 HRS OF FLT TIME AFTER ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

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.