Narrative:

On an IFR flight from rnt to S03 in VMC at 9000', I noticed the low voltage light illuminated and the ammeter showing a discharge on the small aircraft type aircraft. I immediately reported the situation to sea ARTCC. They asked if I was 'declaring an emergency', I said 'no, but thought I might loose radio contact'. They asked if I wanted to return to olympia and I said I would go to portland. Later ARTCC reported loss of radar contact and asked me to report winlo intersection. Warning flags on the VOR and HSI indicated loss of power. I radioed sea ARTCC and asked for landing clearance at pdx. After releasing the transmitter button the radio lights extinguished and no response was received from sea ARTCC. I flew into the downwind leg at pdx without clearance. Suddenly the ammeter showed a charge and I called approach and asked for immediate landing clearance and said 'this is an emergency'. Approach provided clearance to land and asked that I contact pdx tower, but the electrical system failed again. The landing was normal and the emergency vehicles were waiting. I called pdx tower on a phone and they mentioned that they had me on radar and had been notified that I was coming. They mentioned they would file a report and I might have to explain why I didn't land sooner. This is the third time I have lost all electrical power in this type aircraft. The manual gear extension checklist says verify the gear is down and locked using the green light, i.e., there is no way to verify the nose wheel is down and locked. Given the choice of landing without a gear down and locked indication at an airport without emergency equipment or at pdx, I chose pdx. I've never experienced a condition where the gear fails to extend when power was available. I'll probably buy a hand held transceiver. Manufacturer could add a mechanical gear position indicator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TYPE ACFT LOST ELECTRICAL POWER INTERMITTENTLY, RADIO CONTACT INTERMITTENT, DECLARED EMERGENCY FOR LNDG AT PDX.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT FROM RNT TO S03 IN VMC AT 9000', I NOTICED THE LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE AMMETER SHOWING A DISCHARGE ON THE SMA TYPE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE SITUATION TO SEA ARTCC. THEY ASKED IF I WAS 'DECLARING AN EMER', I SAID 'NO, BUT THOUGHT I MIGHT LOOSE RADIO CONTACT'. THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO RETURN TO OLYMPIA AND I SAID I WOULD GO TO PORTLAND. LATER ARTCC REPORTED LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT AND ASKED ME TO REPORT WINLO INTXN. WARNING FLAGS ON THE VOR AND HSI INDICATED LOSS OF POWER. I RADIOED SEA ARTCC AND ASKED FOR LNDG CLRNC AT PDX. AFTER RELEASING THE XMITTER BUTTON THE RADIO LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED AND NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM SEA ARTCC. I FLEW INTO THE DOWNWIND LEG AT PDX WITHOUT CLRNC. SUDDENLY THE AMMETER SHOWED A CHARGE AND I CALLED APCH AND ASKED FOR IMMEDIATE LNDG CLRNC AND SAID 'THIS IS AN EMER'. APCH PROVIDED CLRNC TO LAND AND ASKED THAT I CONTACT PDX TWR, BUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL AND THE EMER VEHICLES WERE WAITING. I CALLED PDX TWR ON A PHONE AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY HAD ME ON RADAR AND HAD BEEN NOTIFIED THAT I WAS COMING. THEY MENTIONED THEY WOULD FILE A REPORT AND I MIGHT HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY I DIDN'T LAND SOONER. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER IN THIS TYPE ACFT. THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST SAYS VERIFY THE GEAR IS DOWN AND LOCKED USING THE GREEN LIGHT, I.E., THERE IS NO WAY TO VERIFY THE NOSE WHEEL IS DOWN AND LOCKED. GIVEN THE CHOICE OF LNDG WITHOUT A GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION AT AN ARPT WITHOUT EMER EQUIPMENT OR AT PDX, I CHOSE PDX. I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED A CONDITION WHERE THE GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND WHEN POWER WAS AVAILABLE. I'LL PROBABLY BUY A HAND HELD TRANSCEIVER. MANUFACTURER COULD ADD A MECHANICAL GEAR POSITION INDICATOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.