A C172 with a complete electrical failure and decreasing engine power was able to safely land NORDO.

Attributes
ACN	796492
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : student pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 370
ASRS Report	796492
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Electrical failure at altitude lost radios first. Squawked 7600 and transponder failed few seconds after. GPS failed 5 seconds after transponder. Engine oil pressure gauge then dropped to zero and stayed there until landing. Maintained power until reaching 4 mi south of ZZZ. Rocked wings side to side and pointed towards the tower. Landing light was inoperative due to electrical failure. No light was given but engine power was decreasing. Entered a left downwind for runway and saw traffic on final. I had enough airspeed and altitude to allow him to pass in front and create spacing to turn base and final. On final I received a green light and landed and had enough power to clear runway. I called tower afterwards and explained the situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 WITH A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND DECREASING ENG POWER WAS ABLE TO SAFELY LAND NORDO.

Narrative: ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT ALT LOST RADIOS FIRST. SQUAWKED 7600 AND XPONDER FAILED FEW SECONDS AFTER. GPS FAILED 5 SECONDS AFTER XPONDER. ENG OIL PRESSURE GAUGE THEN DROPPED TO ZERO AND STAYED THERE UNTIL LNDG. MAINTAINED PWR UNTIL REACHING 4 MI S OF ZZZ. ROCKED WINGS SIDE TO SIDE AND POINTED TOWARDS THE TWR. LNDG LIGHT WAS INOP DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURE. NO LIGHT WAS GIVEN BUT ENG PWR WAS DECREASING. ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY AND SAW TFC ON FINAL. I HAD ENOUGH AIRSPD AND ALT TO ALLOW HIM TO PASS IN FRONT AND CREATE SPACING TO TURN BASE AND FINAL. ON FINAL I RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT AND LANDED AND HAD ENOUGH PWR TO CLR RWY. I CALLED TWR AFTERWARDS AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION.

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.