Narrative:

IFR flight in VMC. Complete electrical system failure. Diverted to nearby airport for emergency landing; no radio. Approaching ZZZ from the west; initially aligned with right downwind on runway 24 just above pattern altitude. Knowing the wind was 340 degrees; I turned right to the left downwind runway 34. I did not know and did not observe that there was departing traffic on runway 24 in addition to the traffic observed for departure for runway 34. My turn across the departure end of runway 24 conflicted with departing traffic; requiring tower controller to ask departing traffic to make shallow departure to avoid conflict with my aircraft. Failed to wiggle-wings to indicate distress condition to tower; though conversation to tower later revealed that they had been given a heads-up from approach that there was an IFR that went norad. Received light signal from tower for landing. Corrections for future: monitor ammeter and electrical system discharge. Have handheld radio with sufficient broadcast strength to communicate with approach. (Handheld worked for listening; but not for transmitting.) approach airport higher than traffic pattern to avoid conflict. Wiggle wings to indicate distress situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A IFR C182 HAS A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. DURING AN EMER NORDO APCH TO THE ARPT; CONFLICTS WITH TFC.

Narrative: IFR FLT IN VMC. COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE. DIVERTED TO NEARBY ARPT FOR EMER LNDG; NO RADIO. APCHING ZZZ FROM THE W; INITIALLY ALIGNED WITH R DOWNWIND ON RWY 24 JUST ABOVE PATTERN ALT. KNOWING THE WIND WAS 340 DEGS; I TURNED R TO THE L DOWNWIND RWY 34. I DID NOT KNOW AND DID NOT OBSERVE THAT THERE WAS DEPARTING TFC ON RWY 24 IN ADDITION TO THE TFC OBSERVED FOR DEP FOR RWY 34. MY TURN ACROSS THE DEP END OF RWY 24 CONFLICTED WITH DEPARTING TFC; REQUIRING TWR CTLR TO ASK DEPARTING TFC TO MAKE SHALLOW DEP TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH MY ACFT. FAILED TO WIGGLE-WINGS TO INDICATE DISTRESS CONDITION TO TWR; THOUGH CONVERSATION TO TWR LATER REVEALED THAT THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN A HEADS-UP FROM APCH THAT THERE WAS AN IFR THAT WENT NORAD. RECEIVED LIGHT SIGNAL FROM TWR FOR LNDG. CORRECTIONS FOR FUTURE: MONITOR AMMETER AND ELECTRICAL SYS DISCHARGE. HAVE HANDHELD RADIO WITH SUFFICIENT BROADCAST STRENGTH TO COMMUNICATE WITH APCH. (HANDHELD WORKED FOR LISTENING; BUT NOT FOR XMITTING.) APCH ARPT HIGHER THAN TFC PATTERN TO AVOID CONFLICT. WIGGLE WINGS TO INDICATE DISTRESS SITUATION.

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.