Narrative:

In preparation for my flight, I did a complete preflight check including a check of the landing lights, strobe lights and beacon. I listened to ATIS then contacted clearance delivery for flight following receiving my squawk and departure frequencys. I contacted ground for permission to taxi. I also requested 'progressive' since I was unfamiliar with the airport especially at night. I was told to make a right turn onto taxiway alpha leaving the FBO. I was proceeding down alpha when I began to notice that my panel lights and avionic lights were dimming. I continued down alpha until I received a message from ground control to turn left at the next taxiway where I would see red lights at the wind sock (see a on the diagram). Looking left I saw red lights on the field. I followed a short and very wide taxiway entrance left and noticed that I was at the edge of runway 13L/31R. I contacted ground control to tell them I was holding position. They informed me I was on 13L/31R. In position, I began to go thru my run-up procedures when I noticed that my panel lights were out and that my avionic lights were out along with loss of radio communications. I also noticed that my landing lights were also out. I had my passenger hold a flashlight out of the window as I made a 180 degree left turn. I cautiously proceeded down taxiway delta to the nearest FBO. I shut down the plane and asked for assistance. I attempted a restart, but there was no power left in the battery. Why wasn't the plane in better operating shape? I later learned that the alternator was not working. Second, since I asked ground control for progressives and admitted my unfamiliarity with love field, why wasn't I warned earlier that I was headed for the active runway?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME GA PRIVATE PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED ON NIGHT TAXI WHILE RECEIVING TAXI DIRECTIVES FROM GND CTLR. HAS ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND LOSES ELECTRICAL POWER TO LIGHTS AND RADIO. TAXIES ONTO RWY WHEN TOLD TO HOLD SHORT.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR MY FLT, I DID A COMPLETE PREFLT CHECK INCLUDING A CHECK OF THE LNDG LIGHTS, STROBE LIGHTS AND BEACON. I LISTENED TO ATIS THEN CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY FOR FLT FOLLOWING RECEIVING MY SQUAWK AND DEP FREQS. I CONTACTED GND FOR PERMISSION TO TAXI. I ALSO REQUESTED 'PROGRESSIVE' SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. I WAS TOLD TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN ONTO TXWY ALPHA LEAVING THE FBO. I WAS PROCEEDING DOWN ALPHA WHEN I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT MY PANEL LIGHTS AND AVIONIC LIGHTS WERE DIMMING. I CONTINUED DOWN ALPHA UNTIL I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM GND CTL TO TURN LEFT AT THE NEXT TXWY WHERE I WOULD SEE RED LIGHTS AT THE WIND SOCK (SEE A ON THE DIAGRAM). LOOKING LEFT I SAW RED LIGHTS ON THE FIELD. I FOLLOWED A SHORT AND VERY WIDE TXWY ENTRANCE LEFT AND NOTICED THAT I WAS AT THE EDGE OF RWY 13L/31R. I CONTACTED GND CTL TO TELL THEM I WAS HOLDING POSITION. THEY INFORMED ME I WAS ON 13L/31R. IN POSITION, I BEGAN TO GO THRU MY RUN-UP PROCS WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY PANEL LIGHTS WERE OUT AND THAT MY AVIONIC LIGHTS WERE OUT ALONG WITH LOSS OF RADIO COMS. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY LNDG LIGHTS WERE ALSO OUT. I HAD MY PAX HOLD A FLASHLIGHT OUT OF THE WINDOW AS I MADE A 180 DEG LEFT TURN. I CAUTIOUSLY PROCEEDED DOWN TXWY DELTA TO THE NEAREST FBO. I SHUT DOWN THE PLANE AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. I ATTEMPTED A RESTART, BUT THERE WAS NO POWER LEFT IN THE BATTERY. WHY WASN'T THE PLANE IN BETTER OPERATING SHAPE? I LATER LEARNED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT WORKING. SECOND, SINCE I ASKED GND CTL FOR PROGRESSIVES AND ADMITTED MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH LOVE FIELD, WHY WASN'T I WARNED EARLIER THAT I WAS HEADED FOR THE ACTIVE RWY?

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.