Narrative:

While flying on an IFR flight plan; a complete electrical failure occurred close to the ZZZ VOR; followed shortly after by a rough running engine and abnormal oil indications; requiring an immediate landing at the nearest visible runway; which turned out to be ZZZ3. Due to the inability to communicate via the aircraft radios; this became an unannounced landing at a government facility within an alert area. There was one other person onboard the flight; the brother of the PIC; and not a pilot. The PIC was flying right seat in the aircraft. Unknown to the PIC at the time; the electrical problem is believed to have first revealed itself as an intermittent yoke microphone problem; observed as a minor delay in transmission while talking with approach during the early stages of the flight; but becoming more pronounced while talking to ATC. About halfway between the ZZZ1 and ZZZ VOR's; the lights appeared to dim and pulsate; but the alternator appeared to show a slight positive charging. However; every time a handoff was made by ATC to another facility; the microphone problem got worse and the lights in the cabin seemed dimmer. When the handoff was made to the next approach controller; the microphone button stopped working completely on the right yoke; so the passenger was asked to key his microphone button and attempt to call ATC. However; nothing could be transmitted even though we could still hear ATC requesting a response. Then; the communication #2 radio started flashing and went out shortly after. After determining the backup hand-held radio would not work with both battery packs onboard; the PIC immediately squawked 7600. (The alternator was cycled here as well to attempt to reset it.) at the same time; he asked the passenger to look for the nearest green and white beacons; and pulled out the sectional to identify the nearest airport. During this time; a distinct change in the sound of the engine occurred; accompanied by a slight vibration and abnormal oil temperature and pressure indications. However manifold pressure and engine RPM showed no significant change and altitude held at 7000 ft MSL. Somewhere close to the ZZZ VOR all lights and radios in the cabin went out and the engine roughness/vibration appeared to worsen. Oil temperature was showing no indication and oil pressure and was just below the green range. Just after this occurred; a very distinct set of runway lights appeared off to the northwest. With no other method to identify and turn on runway lights at night; the PIC thought the lights may have been turned on intentionally by ATC; and the decision was made to turn off course toward the runway lights. S-turns were made to lose altitude while approaching the runway; and the emergency gear deployment was made. When a gump check was performed before landing; it was noted that no change in engine RPM occurred as normally does when moving the propeller lever forward. A safe and uneventful landing was made to the northwest (surface winds were believed light from the southwest based on earlier reports in the area). The runway was later determined to be runway xx at ZZZ3. The plane was taxied off the runway and parked on a ramp near other single engine airplanes and military helicopters. The engine oil was checked and found to have dropped from about 6 quarts on takeoff to 4 quarts at ZZZ3; after 1.2 hours of flight. Regarding corrective actions; several changes/actions could have been made to avoid the complications associated with this mishap. First; the PIC could have flown in the left seat to improve his scan of the engine instruments. Second; the PIC could have been more diligent during the planning and initial stages of the flight at noting the nearest airports along the route of flight. Third; the PIC should not have made the assumption early on that the inconsistent microphone operations were due to a bad microphone button; which made it easier to explain away what appeared to be a lower charging level than normal from the alternator. And fourth; the PIC should have double-checked his back-up battery packs for his hand-held radio more diligently. Although the hand-held radio was used with a student the week before; the batteries were apparently too weak; and the back-up pack; although unused; had probably been sitting toolong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28-220 PILOT REPORTS THE COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL AND RADIOS REQUIRING AN EMER LNDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE OCCURRED CLOSE TO THE ZZZ VOR; FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER BY A ROUGH RUNNING ENG AND ABNORMAL OIL INDICATIONS; REQUIRING AN IMMEDIATE LNDG AT THE NEAREST VISIBLE RWY; WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ZZZ3. DUE TO THE INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE VIA THE ACFT RADIOS; THIS BECAME AN UNANNOUNCED LNDG AT A GOV FACILITY WITHIN AN ALERT AREA. THERE WAS ONE OTHER PERSON ONBOARD THE FLT; THE BROTHER OF THE PIC; AND NOT A PLT. THE PIC WAS FLYING R SEAT IN THE ACFT. UNKNOWN TO THE PIC AT THE TIME; THE ELECTRICAL PROB IS BELIEVED TO HAVE FIRST REVEALED ITSELF AS AN INTERMITTENT YOKE MIKE PROB; OBSERVED AS A MINOR DELAY IN XMISSION WHILE TALKING WITH APCH DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE FLT; BUT BECOMING MORE PRONOUNCED WHILE TALKING TO ATC. ABOUT HALFWAY BTWN THE ZZZ1 AND ZZZ VOR'S; THE LIGHTS APPEARED TO DIM AND PULSATE; BUT THE ALTERNATOR APPEARED TO SHOW A SLIGHT POSITIVE CHARGING. HOWEVER; EVERY TIME A HDOF WAS MADE BY ATC TO ANOTHER FACILITY; THE MIKE PROB GOT WORSE AND THE LIGHTS IN THE CABIN SEEMED DIMMER. WHEN THE HDOF WAS MADE TO THE NEXT APCH CTLR; THE MIKE BUTTON STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY ON THE R YOKE; SO THE PAX WAS ASKED TO KEY HIS MIKE BUTTON AND ATTEMPT TO CALL ATC. HOWEVER; NOTHING COULD BE XMITTED EVEN THOUGH WE COULD STILL HEAR ATC REQUESTING A RESPONSE. THEN; THE COM #2 RADIO STARTED FLASHING AND WENT OUT SHORTLY AFTER. AFTER DETERMINING THE BACKUP HAND-HELD RADIO WOULD NOT WORK WITH BOTH BATTERY PACKS ONBOARD; THE PIC IMMEDIATELY SQUAWKED 7600. (THE ALTERNATOR WAS CYCLED HERE AS WELL TO ATTEMPT TO RESET IT.) AT THE SAME TIME; HE ASKED THE PAX TO LOOK FOR THE NEAREST GREEN AND WHITE BEACONS; AND PULLED OUT THE SECTIONAL TO IDENT THE NEAREST ARPT. DURING THIS TIME; A DISTINCT CHANGE IN THE SOUND OF THE ENG OCCURRED; ACCOMPANIED BY A SLIGHT VIBRATION AND ABNORMAL OIL TEMP AND PRESSURE INDICATIONS. HOWEVER MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND ENG RPM SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AND ALT HELD AT 7000 FT MSL. SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THE ZZZ VOR ALL LIGHTS AND RADIOS IN THE CABIN WENT OUT AND THE ENG ROUGHNESS/VIBRATION APPEARED TO WORSEN. OIL TEMP WAS SHOWING NO INDICATION AND OIL PRESSURE AND WAS JUST BELOW THE GREEN RANGE. JUST AFTER THIS OCCURRED; A VERY DISTINCT SET OF RWY LIGHTS APPEARED OFF TO THE NW. WITH NO OTHER METHOD TO IDENT AND TURN ON RWY LIGHTS AT NIGHT; THE PIC THOUGHT THE LIGHTS MAY HAVE BEEN TURNED ON INTENTIONALLY BY ATC; AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO TURN OFF COURSE TOWARD THE RWY LIGHTS. S-TURNS WERE MADE TO LOSE ALT WHILE APCHING THE RWY; AND THE EMER GEAR DEPLOYMENT WAS MADE. WHEN A GUMP CHK WAS PERFORMED BEFORE LNDG; IT WAS NOTED THAT NO CHANGE IN ENG RPM OCCURRED AS NORMALLY DOES WHEN MOVING THE PROP LEVER FORWARD. A SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE TO THE NW (SURFACE WINDS WERE BELIEVED LIGHT FROM THE SW BASED ON EARLIER RPTS IN THE AREA). THE RWY WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE RWY XX AT ZZZ3. THE PLANE WAS TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND PARKED ON A RAMP NEAR OTHER SINGLE ENG AIRPLANES AND MIL HELIS. THE ENG OIL WAS CHKED AND FOUND TO HAVE DROPPED FROM ABOUT 6 QUARTS ON TKOF TO 4 QUARTS AT ZZZ3; AFTER 1.2 HRS OF FLT. REGARDING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS; SEVERAL CHANGES/ACTIONS COULD HAVE BEEN MADE TO AVOID THE COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MISHAP. FIRST; THE PIC COULD HAVE FLOWN IN THE L SEAT TO IMPROVE HIS SCAN OF THE ENG INSTS. SECOND; THE PIC COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DILIGENT DURING THE PLANNING AND INITIAL STAGES OF THE FLT AT NOTING THE NEAREST ARPTS ALONG THE RTE OF FLT. THIRD; THE PIC SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE ASSUMPTION EARLY ON THAT THE INCONSISTENT MIKE OPS WERE DUE TO A BAD MIKE BUTTON; WHICH MADE IT EASIER TO EXPLAIN AWAY WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LOWER CHARGING LEVEL THAN NORMAL FROM THE ALTERNATOR. AND FOURTH; THE PIC SHOULD HAVE DOUBLE-CHKED HIS BACK-UP BATTERY PACKS FOR HIS HAND-HELD RADIO MORE DILIGENTLY. ALTHOUGH THE HAND-HELD RADIO WAS USED WITH A STUDENT THE WK BEFORE; THE BATTERIES WERE APPARENTLY TOO WEAK; AND THE BACK-UP PACK; ALTHOUGH UNUSED; HAD PROBABLY BEEN SITTING TOOLONG.

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.