Narrative:

I was inbound on a long cross country flight from california to falcon field in mesa; az. As I departed my check point at casa grande airport; my alternator went 'off-line;' and had to be reset. It appeared to be successful; and I continued towards my destination. With a nebound heading to avoid the class B airspace of phoenix; I descended through 4000 ft to 3000 ft with a course outbound from casa grande airport; between both the class D airspace of williams gateway; and the small restr airspace to the east. I was utilizing both GPS and VOR navigation; as well as 'ground references' to assure adequate clearance from both. Just northeast of casa grande airport; my alternator went off-line again. At that point; I reduced my battery load; leaving only my transponder on as I continued nebound until I could clear the williams gateway class D airspace; for my approach to falcon field. A quick assessment of the electrical system and its malfunction; led me to believe I would have enough battery voltage to turn on the radio once I was close to falcon airport to get the ATIS and make my call for landing clearance. Without the use of navaids to navigation around the williams gateway airspace; using what ground references I could; I made my turn northwest. As I approached the area from the east; I realized I was still too far south of my visual reference; and was approaching the williams gateway airport; directly ahead to the west. Immediately I executed a left 180 degree turn away from the airport back to the east; however based upon my estimation; I may have encroached into the class D airspace of williams gateway airport. Still with no navigation equipment; I attempted to widen my left turn around the class D airspace to the west; turned on #1 communication radio; estimated my position to be approximately 11 mi east of falcon; and called for landing clearance at falcon. They advised that I would need to head north to get clear of williams gateway airspace; then after crossing the canal; turn left (west) to the airport. I was given subsequent landing clearance. In sum; I am submitting this account to report a possible; unintentional; infringement into the class D airspace at williams gateway airport; while attempting to navigation with 'inoperative' navigation equipment; and a malfunctioning alternator. The alternator malfunction was idented; and repaired with no further incident. I believe that this situation although complicated by the distrs of both loss of the alternator; and subsequent shutdown temporary of the non-essential items for the duration of the flight; could have been avoided by better familiarization of the ground references surrounding williams gateway airspace. This would have made it easier to determine when I had cleared the class D airspace for the turn to falcon field. The added close proximity to both the phoenix class B airspace; and the small block of 'restr' airspace east of gateway being a 'contributing distraction.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMALL AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED AN ALTERNATOR PROBLEM REQUIRING THAT ELECTRONIC NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT BE SECURED. SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE IN THE COMPLEX PHX CLASS B AREA.

Narrative: I WAS INBOUND ON A LONG XCOUNTRY FLT FROM CALIFORNIA TO FALCON FIELD IN MESA; AZ. AS I DEPARTED MY CHK POINT AT CASA GRANDE ARPT; MY ALTERNATOR WENT 'OFF-LINE;' AND HAD TO BE RESET. IT APPEARED TO BE SUCCESSFUL; AND I CONTINUED TOWARDS MY DEST. WITH A NEBOUND HDG TO AVOID THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF PHOENIX; I DSNDED THROUGH 4000 FT TO 3000 FT WITH A COURSE OUTBOUND FROM CASA GRANDE ARPT; BTWN BOTH THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF WILLIAMS GATEWAY; AND THE SMALL RESTR AIRSPACE TO THE E. I WAS UTILIZING BOTH GPS AND VOR NAV; AS WELL AS 'GND REFS' TO ASSURE ADEQUATE CLRNC FROM BOTH. JUST NE OF CASA GRANDE ARPT; MY ALTERNATOR WENT OFF-LINE AGAIN. AT THAT POINT; I REDUCED MY BATTERY LOAD; LEAVING ONLY MY XPONDER ON AS I CONTINUED NEBOUND UNTIL I COULD CLR THE WILLIAMS GATEWAY CLASS D AIRSPACE; FOR MY APCH TO FALCON FIELD. A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE ELECTRICAL SYS AND ITS MALFUNCTION; LED ME TO BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE ENOUGH BATTERY VOLTAGE TO TURN ON THE RADIO ONCE I WAS CLOSE TO FALCON ARPT TO GET THE ATIS AND MAKE MY CALL FOR LNDG CLRNC. WITHOUT THE USE OF NAVAIDS TO NAV AROUND THE WILLIAMS GATEWAY AIRSPACE; USING WHAT GND REFS I COULD; I MADE MY TURN NW. AS I APCHED THE AREA FROM THE E; I REALIZED I WAS STILL TOO FAR S OF MY VISUAL REF; AND WAS APCHING THE WILLIAMS GATEWAY ARPT; DIRECTLY AHEAD TO THE W. IMMEDIATELY I EXECUTED A L 180 DEG TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT BACK TO THE E; HOWEVER BASED UPON MY ESTIMATION; I MAY HAVE ENCROACHED INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF WILLIAMS GATEWAY ARPT. STILL WITH NO NAV EQUIP; I ATTEMPTED TO WIDEN MY L TURN AROUND THE CLASS D AIRSPACE TO THE W; TURNED ON #1 COM RADIO; ESTIMATED MY POS TO BE APPROX 11 MI E OF FALCON; AND CALLED FOR LNDG CLRNC AT FALCON. THEY ADVISED THAT I WOULD NEED TO HEAD N TO GET CLR OF WILLIAMS GATEWAY AIRSPACE; THEN AFTER XING THE CANAL; TURN L (W) TO THE ARPT. I WAS GIVEN SUBSEQUENT LNDG CLRNC. IN SUM; I AM SUBMITTING THIS ACCOUNT TO RPT A POSSIBLE; UNINTENTIONAL; INFRINGEMENT INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AT WILLIAMS GATEWAY ARPT; WHILE ATTEMPTING TO NAV WITH 'INOP' NAV EQUIP; AND A MALFUNCTIONING ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTION WAS IDENTED; AND REPAIRED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SITUATION ALTHOUGH COMPLICATED BY THE DISTRS OF BOTH LOSS OF THE ALTERNATOR; AND SUBSEQUENT SHUTDOWN TEMPORARY OF THE NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT; COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY BETTER FAMILIARIZATION OF THE GND REFS SURROUNDING WILLIAMS GATEWAY AIRSPACE. THIS WOULD HAVE MADE IT EASIER TO DETERMINE WHEN I HAD CLRED THE CLASS D AIRSPACE FOR THE TURN TO FALCON FIELD. THE ADDED CLOSE PROX TO BOTH THE PHOENIX CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND THE SMALL BLOCK OF 'RESTR' AIRSPACE E OF GATEWAY BEING A 'CONTRIBUTING DISTR.'

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.