Narrative:

At approximately XA40 hours on feb/xa/08; beech bonanza; a 1958 J35 single engine piston aircraft with 2 individuals aboard (PIC and 1 non-pilot); suffered a total loss of electrical power while flying on an IFR flight plan at 7000 ft MSL. Navigation and communication was previously being conducted with a garmin 430 and related indicators as well as a garmin MX20 moving map display with current IFR en route charts. As a result of the electrical failure; all communication and navigation instrumentation failed. Fuel gauges too were inoperative. At the time of the event; aircraft had been aloft for approximately 1 hour and was in VMC between layers with overcast layers being approximately 1000 ft below and several thousand ft above. The PIC then took up a course hearing of 080 degrees to take the aircraft on an easterly heading and away from the known mountainous terrain; to look for VMC conditions to the ground; and set up a regime of switching fuel tanks every 10 mins. The J35 has 3 fuel position; left; right and auxiliary. There exists 17 gals of useable fuel each of the left and right tanks and 20 gals of usable fuel in the auxiliary tanks. At the instruction of the PIC; the non-pilot passenger attempted to send a text message to a work colleague requesting that he contact the FAA at 1-800-wxbrief and advised them of the emergency. The communication was successful; although no communication between the aircraft and the FAA ensued at the time. Through a text message; the aircraft was advised that because of the loss of its transponder; the FAA could not locate it on radar. The PIC maintained the aircraft's easterly heading and advised via text message of the aircraft's last known position. At approximately XA15 lost all engine power. The PIC set the aircraft's trim to 100 KIAS and advised the non-pilot passenger to secure her seat belt and attempt to manually lower the aircraft's landing gear. The aircraft entered IMC at 6000 ft MSL. The PIC then maintained a level flight attitude and 100 KIAS during the subsequent descent after which time he followed the aircraft engine-out procedure. The aircraft's propeller continued to windmill. At the time of the engine failure; the detent on the fuel selector was set on auxiliary. The PIC during the engine-out procedure switched the tanks from auxiliary to left. While descending through 4000 ft MSL; engine returned to full power; at which time the PIC initiated an immediate full power climb to 7000 ft MSL and continued on a heading of 080 degrees. At approximately XA47; the non-pilot passenger observed a hole in the clouds and terrain well below. The PIC reduced power and initiated a circling descent through the cloud layer and arrived in VMC conditions at approximately 3000 ft MSL with gear extended. At approximately XA51; the PIC observed a small airport. The PIC initiated non-flaps approach to the airfield; instructing the non-pilot passenger to release the locking mechanism on the aircraft door and brace for impact given the unknown status of the landing gear. The aircraft landed without incident with no injury to persons or property; after which the PIC notified the FAA and center of status of the aircraft and its passenger. The loss of electrical power was subsequently determined by an FAA certificated airframe and power-plant mechanic to be the failure of an electrical solenoid located on the forward firewall of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 ON IFR FLT SUFFERS TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT TEMPORARY LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA40 HRS ON FEB/XA/08; BEECH BONANZA; A 1958 J35 SINGLE ENG PISTON ACFT WITH 2 INDIVIDUALS ABOARD (PIC AND 1 NON-PLT); SUFFERED A TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WHILE FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AT 7000 FT MSL. NAV AND COM WAS PREVIOUSLY BEING CONDUCTED WITH A GARMIN 430 AND RELATED INDICATORS AS WELL AS A GARMIN MX20 MOVING MAP DISPLAY WITH CURRENT IFR ENRTE CHARTS. AS A RESULT OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE; ALL COM AND NAV INSTRUMENTATION FAILED. FUEL GAUGES TOO WERE INOP. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT; ACFT HAD BEEN ALOFT FOR APPROX 1 HR AND WAS IN VMC BTWN LAYERS WITH OVCST LAYERS BEING APPROX 1000 FT BELOW AND SEVERAL THOUSAND FT ABOVE. THE PIC THEN TOOK UP A COURSE HEARING OF 080 DEGS TO TAKE THE ACFT ON AN EASTERLY HDG AND AWAY FROM THE KNOWN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; TO LOOK FOR VMC CONDITIONS TO THE GND; AND SET UP A REGIME OF SWITCHING FUEL TANKS EVERY 10 MINS. THE J35 HAS 3 FUEL POS; L; R AND AUX. THERE EXISTS 17 GALS OF USEABLE FUEL EACH OF THE L AND R TANKS AND 20 GALS OF USABLE FUEL IN THE AUX TANKS. AT THE INSTRUCTION OF THE PIC; THE NON-PLT PAX ATTEMPTED TO SEND A TEXT MESSAGE TO A WORK COLLEAGUE REQUESTING THAT HE CONTACT THE FAA AT 1-800-WXBRIEF AND ADVISED THEM OF THE EMER. THE COM WAS SUCCESSFUL; ALTHOUGH NO COM BTWN THE ACFT AND THE FAA ENSUED AT THE TIME. THROUGH A TEXT MESSAGE; THE ACFT WAS ADVISED THAT BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF ITS XPONDER; THE FAA COULD NOT LOCATE IT ON RADAR. THE PIC MAINTAINED THE ACFT'S EASTERLY HDG AND ADVISED VIA TEXT MESSAGE OF THE ACFT'S LAST KNOWN POS. AT APPROX XA15 LOST ALL ENG PWR. THE PIC SET THE ACFT'S TRIM TO 100 KIAS AND ADVISED THE NON-PLT PAX TO SECURE HER SEAT BELT AND ATTEMPT TO MANUALLY LOWER THE ACFT'S LNDG GEAR. THE ACFT ENTERED IMC AT 6000 FT MSL. THE PIC THEN MAINTAINED A LEVEL FLT ATTITUDE AND 100 KIAS DURING THE SUBSEQUENT DSCNT AFTER WHICH TIME HE FOLLOWED THE ACFT ENG-OUT PROC. THE ACFT'S PROP CONTINUED TO WINDMILL. AT THE TIME OF THE ENG FAILURE; THE DETENT ON THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET ON AUX. THE PIC DURING THE ENG-OUT PROC SWITCHED THE TANKS FROM AUX TO L. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 4000 FT MSL; ENG RETURNED TO FULL PWR; AT WHICH TIME THE PIC INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE FULL PWR CLB TO 7000 FT MSL AND CONTINUED ON A HDG OF 080 DEGS. AT APPROX XA47; THE NON-PLT PAX OBSERVED A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS AND TERRAIN WELL BELOW. THE PIC REDUCED PWR AND INITIATED A CIRCLING DSCNT THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER AND ARRIVED IN VMC CONDITIONS AT APPROX 3000 FT MSL WITH GEAR EXTENDED. AT APPROX XA51; THE PIC OBSERVED A SMALL ARPT. THE PIC INITIATED NON-FLAPS APCH TO THE AIRFIELD; INSTRUCTING THE NON-PLT PAX TO RELEASE THE LOCKING MECHANISM ON THE ACFT DOOR AND BRACE FOR IMPACT GIVEN THE UNKNOWN STATUS OF THE LNDG GEAR. THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT WITH NO INJURY TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY; AFTER WHICH THE PIC NOTIFIED THE FAA AND CENTER OF STATUS OF THE ACFT AND ITS PAX. THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED BY AN FAA CERTIFICATED AIRFRAME AND PWR-PLANT MECH TO BE THE FAILURE OF AN ELECTRICAL SOLENOID LOCATED ON THE FORWARD FIREWALL OF THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.