Narrative:

On a flight from allentown, PA; to atlantic city, nj (bader field); I was talking to acy approach. Flying at an assigned altitude of 4000' MSL in a southwest heading, I lost power to my radios and transponder. Unable to communicate or navigation, I remained at 4000' MSL and flew southeast to clear the acy arsa and get out over the atlantic ocean. Once I felt sure I had cleared all land, I started a northbound descent through the clouds. I cleared the clouds at about 250-300' MSL. I then turned west until I sighted land. First land sighting was the inlet at sea isle city, nj. It was idented by the markings on the local water tower. Although my plan was to attempt a landing at the uncontrolled airport at wwd, I soon realized that forward visibility was getting worse. Since I knew that various tv/radio towers were in the area, I decided to go back to the beach and head north to 26N. The airport at that location is uncontrolled and very close to the beach. As I started north, I looked at my gauges again and the indications were that all 4 fuel tanks were empty. From visually checking my fuel supply before leaving abe, I calculated at least 4 hours of fuel in the tanks for the flight. When the gauges were indicating 0, I was 2 hours into a normally 1 hour flight. Because darkness was approaching, visibility was decreasing due to fog and haze, and the gauges were reading 0, I decided to land on the beach below me. No aircraft damage occurred due to the landing. A visibility inspection of the fuel tanks showed that there was at least a 2 hour fuel supply remaining. A certified mechanic came the next day and repaired the electrical system and after receiving permission from the local authorities, I took off from the beach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT LNDG ACCOMPLISHED SAFELY WHEN PLT EXPERIENCES RADIO FAILURE AND IS UNCERTAIN OF HIS FUEL SUPPLY. PLT DEVIATION FROM LOST COM PROC WHILE ON IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM ALLENTOWN, PA; TO ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (BADER FIELD); I WAS TALKING TO ACY APCH. FLYING AT AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000' MSL IN A SW HDG, I LOST PWR TO MY RADIOS AND XPONDER. UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE OR NAV, I REMAINED AT 4000' MSL AND FLEW SE TO CLR THE ACY ARSA AND GET OUT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. ONCE I FELT SURE I HAD CLRED ALL LAND, I STARTED A NBOUND DSCNT THROUGH THE CLOUDS. I CLRED THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 250-300' MSL. I THEN TURNED W UNTIL I SIGHTED LAND. FIRST LAND SIGHTING WAS THE INLET AT SEA ISLE CITY, NJ. IT WAS IDENTED BY THE MARKINGS ON THE LCL WATER TWR. ALTHOUGH MY PLAN WAS TO ATTEMPT A LNDG AT THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT AT WWD, I SOON REALIZED THAT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS GETTING WORSE. SINCE I KNEW THAT VARIOUS TV/RADIO TWRS WERE IN THE AREA, I DECIDED TO GO BACK TO THE BEACH AND HEAD N TO 26N. THE ARPT AT THAT LOCATION IS UNCONTROLLED AND VERY CLOSE TO THE BEACH. AS I STARTED N, I LOOKED AT MY GAUGES AGAIN AND THE INDICATIONS WERE THAT ALL 4 FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. FROM VISUALLY CHKING MY FUEL SUPPLY BEFORE LEAVING ABE, I CALCULATED AT LEAST 4 HRS OF FUEL IN THE TANKS FOR THE FLT. WHEN THE GAUGES WERE INDICATING 0, I WAS 2 HRS INTO A NORMALLY 1 HR FLT. BECAUSE DARKNESS WAS APCHING, VISIBILITY WAS DECREASING DUE TO FOG AND HAZE, AND THE GAUGES WERE READING 0, I DECIDED TO LAND ON THE BEACH BELOW ME. NO ACFT DAMAGE OCCURRED DUE TO THE LNDG. A VIS INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TANKS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS AT LEAST A 2 HR FUEL SUPPLY REMAINING. A CERTIFIED MECH CAME THE NEXT DAY AND REPAIRED THE ELECTRICAL SYS AND AFTER RECEIVING PERMISSION FROM THE LCL AUTHORITIES, I TOOK OFF FROM THE BEACH.

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.