Narrative:

I was flying on an IFR flight plan from fdk to phl, in solid IMC conditions in contact with balance approach control (113.0). I had just been cleared to 7000', my requested altitude, on heading 070, when the communication receiver started making a lot of noise, and my scan found the battery discharging, indicating either a severe short circuit or the alternator not working. ATC was advised immediately, and all electrical equipment possible except one communication transceiver and one navigation receiver was turned off. ATC informed me they would vector me to the nearest ILS approach, but when I acknowledged they did not receive my transmission. All communication as well as all navigation electronic information was lost. Had a backup flashlight which my wife used to illuminate necessary flight instruments. We did still have a vacuum driven gyro attitude indicator and directional gyro. On climbing to 7000', my last assigned altitude from ATC, we were about 2-300' on top of an undercast, in the clear. To remain VMC, however, we eventually had to climb to 9500'. Preflight briefing indicated that if there were any clearer conditions to be found, they would be to the north, and therefore I headed in that direction. After 15 mins or so, we saw a pinkish glow, made by the lights of cities glowing through clouds. Before entering the clouds, a small hole, perhaps 2-3 mi in diameter, opened up showing the city below. We dived through the hole, from about 9500' to about 3000, spiraling to stay in the clear area. The area under the clouds was clear, with a ceiling of about 3000'. Visibility below the clouds was excellent. The green light flash of an airport beacon was seen and looking toward it, a runway lighting system. It was wilkes-barre scranton international. There was considerable turbulence, due to what appeared to be a windshear layer, with winds higher being southwesterly, while winds nearer the ground were northerly. Preparing to lower the landing gear by manual cranking we began to survey the airport. Further inspection revealed emergency (red flashing light) vehicles surrounding a larger aircraft stopped at the crossing of 2 runways. We saw no lights from the tower, since we had no lights they probably could not see us. We made 4 passes around the airport. I was reasonably confident that there was enough runway beyond the airliner to make a safe landing. By landing heading away from the airliner after flying over it, the only possible damage would be that to my own aircraft and myself and wife, if we overran the end of the runway. After landing, and taxiing without further incident to the FBO, I called the tower, explaining the situation to the tower supervisor. He seemed understanding and very reasonable, and was quite helpful in taking the required information. Further contact with the FAA the following monday was courteous and I had the feeling of mutually constructive attitudes. With regard to possible ways to reduce the potential danger of such a situation, I would like to offer the following. The presence of a good hand-held battery operated navigation/communication radio would have been a most positive asset, especially if it could be connected to an outside mounted navigation/communication antenna. I would certainly recommend such a system for anyone conducting single-engine, IFR flts, and I certainly intend to have such back-up for any such flts I make in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON IFR FLT PLAN IN IMC. LOCATED ARPT, LANDED BEYOND ACR STALLED ON RWY AT INTXN.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM FDK TO PHL, IN SOLID IMC CONDITIONS IN CONTACT WITH BAL APCH CTL (113.0). I HAD JUST BEEN CLRED TO 7000', MY REQUESTED ALT, ON HDG 070, WHEN THE COM RECEIVER STARTED MAKING A LOT OF NOISE, AND MY SCAN FOUND THE BATTERY DISCHARGING, INDICATING EITHER A SEVERE SHORT CIRCUIT OR THE ALTERNATOR NOT WORKING. ATC WAS ADVISED IMMEDIATELY, AND ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT POSSIBLE EXCEPT ONE COM TRANSCEIVER AND ONE NAV RECEIVER WAS TURNED OFF. ATC INFORMED ME THEY WOULD VECTOR ME TO THE NEAREST ILS APCH, BUT WHEN I ACKNOWLEDGED THEY DID NOT RECEIVE MY XMISSION. ALL COM AS WELL AS ALL NAVIGATION ELECTRONIC INFO WAS LOST. HAD A BACKUP FLASHLIGHT WHICH MY WIFE USED TO ILLUMINATE NECESSARY FLT INSTRUMENTS. WE DID STILL HAVE A VACUUM DRIVEN GYRO ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO. ON CLIMBING TO 7000', MY LAST ASSIGNED ALT FROM ATC, WE WERE ABOUT 2-300' ON TOP OF AN UNDERCAST, IN THE CLEAR. TO REMAIN VMC, HOWEVER, WE EVENTUALLY HAD TO CLIMB TO 9500'. PREFLT BRIEFING INDICATED THAT IF THERE WERE ANY CLEARER CONDITIONS TO BE FOUND, THEY WOULD BE TO THE NORTH, AND THEREFORE I HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION. AFTER 15 MINS OR SO, WE SAW A PINKISH GLOW, MADE BY THE LIGHTS OF CITIES GLOWING THROUGH CLOUDS. BEFORE ENTERING THE CLOUDS, A SMALL HOLE, PERHAPS 2-3 MI IN DIAMETER, OPENED UP SHOWING THE CITY BELOW. WE DIVED THROUGH THE HOLE, FROM ABOUT 9500' TO ABOUT 3000, SPIRALING TO STAY IN THE CLEAR AREA. THE AREA UNDER THE CLOUDS WAS CLEAR, WITH A CEILING OF ABOUT 3000'. VISIBILITY BELOW THE CLOUDS WAS EXCELLENT. THE GREEN LIGHT FLASH OF AN ARPT BEACON WAS SEEN AND LOOKING TOWARD IT, A RWY LIGHTING SYSTEM. IT WAS WILKES-BARRE SCRANTON INTERNATIONAL. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TURBULENCE, DUE TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE A WINDSHEAR LAYER, WITH WINDS HIGHER BEING SOUTHWESTERLY, WHILE WINDS NEARER THE GND WERE NORTHERLY. PREPARING TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR BY MANUAL CRANKING WE BEGAN TO SURVEY THE ARPT. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED EMER (RED FLASHING LIGHT) VEHICLES SURROUNDING A LARGER ACFT STOPPED AT THE XING OF 2 RWYS. WE SAW NO LIGHTS FROM THE TWR, SINCE WE HAD NO LIGHTS THEY PROBABLY COULD NOT SEE US. WE MADE 4 PASSES AROUND THE ARPT. I WAS REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH RWY BEYOND THE AIRLINER TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. BY LNDG HDG AWAY FROM THE AIRLINER AFTER FLYING OVER IT, THE ONLY POSSIBLE DAMAGE WOULD BE THAT TO MY OWN ACFT AND MYSELF AND WIFE, IF WE OVERRAN THE END OF THE RWY. AFTER LNDG, AND TAXIING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT TO THE FBO, I CALLED THE TWR, EXPLAINING THE SITUATION TO THE TWR SUPVR. HE SEEMED UNDERSTANDING AND VERY REASONABLE, AND WAS QUITE HELPFUL IN TAKING THE REQUIRED INFO. FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE FAA THE FOLLOWING MONDAY WAS COURTEOUS AND I HAD THE FEELING OF MUTUALLY CONSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDES. WITH REGARD TO POSSIBLE WAYS TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF SUCH A SITUATION, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING. THE PRESENCE OF A GOOD HAND-HELD BATTERY OPERATED NAV/COM RADIO WOULD HAVE BEEN A MOST POSITIVE ASSET, ESPECIALLY IF IT COULD BE CONNECTED TO AN OUTSIDE MOUNTED NAV/COM ANTENNA. I WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND SUCH A SYSTEM FOR ANYONE CONDUCTING SINGLE-ENGINE, IFR FLTS, AND I CERTAINLY INTEND TO HAVE SUCH BACK-UP FOR ANY SUCH FLTS I MAKE IN THE FUTURE.

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.