Narrative:

I departed atl with IFR clearance to jefferson city, mo. I received initial radar vectors, then was cleared to intercept V5 direct cha as filed, to maintain 8000'. I was level at 8000' about 20 mins out of atl when the autoplt suddenly disengaged. I searched for a cause and noted the ammeter showing discharge. I immediately notified ZTL, but received a reply--'aircraft calling atl, you're unreadable.' atl then asked me to identify if I was calling, which I did, and then switched from my assigned code XXXX to XXXX; however atl stated they had lost my transponder. I broadcast several times that I had an electrical failure, and shut down all non essential electrical equipment. No one heard my xmissions. The last message I received was to contact cha approach, which I attempted unsuccessfully. I was in VMC, approaching cha, and decided to land at cha. I could see the active runway was 20, and this allowed me to approach on a 45 degree angle to left downwind while flying directly toward the control tower and scanning for traffic--both airborne and on the ground. I lowered the landing gear manually and rocked my wings repeatedly while approaching the tower, but never received a light signal. I therefore circled away from the airport and repeated the approach to tower twice, never receiving a light signal. There was no other identable traffic except for a twin on short final and I elected to land west/O a clearance. Clearing the active runway, I sat at the intersection facing the control tower and waited about 2 mins for a light signal, which I never received. I then taxied to the nearest FBO and immediately called the tower. Approach said they had been looking for me, that their primary radar signal had been lost near a smaller, uncontrolled airport and they were checking to see if I had landed there, and the tower had apparently never seen me, neither in the air nor on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN IN VMC EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. DIVERTS AND LANDS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT OR DAMAGE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ATL WITH IFR CLRNC TO JEFFERSON CITY, MO. I RECEIVED INITIAL RADAR VECTORS, THEN WAS CLRED TO INTERCEPT V5 DIRECT CHA AS FILED, TO MAINTAIN 8000'. I WAS LEVEL AT 8000' ABOUT 20 MINS OUT OF ATL WHEN THE AUTOPLT SUDDENLY DISENGAGED. I SEARCHED FOR A CAUSE AND NOTED THE AMMETER SHOWING DISCHARGE. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED ZTL, BUT RECEIVED A REPLY--'ACFT CALLING ATL, YOU'RE UNREADABLE.' ATL THEN ASKED ME TO IDENT IF I WAS CALLING, WHICH I DID, AND THEN SWITCHED FROM MY ASSIGNED CODE XXXX TO XXXX; HOWEVER ATL STATED THEY HAD LOST MY XPONDER. I BROADCAST SEVERAL TIMES THAT I HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE, AND SHUT DOWN ALL NON ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIP. NO ONE HEARD MY XMISSIONS. THE LAST MESSAGE I RECEIVED WAS TO CONTACT CHA APCH, WHICH I ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY. I WAS IN VMC, APCHING CHA, AND DECIDED TO LAND AT CHA. I COULD SEE THE ACTIVE RWY WAS 20, AND THIS ALLOWED ME TO APCH ON A 45 DEG ANGLE TO LEFT DOWNWIND WHILE FLYING DIRECTLY TOWARD THE CTL TWR AND SCANNING FOR TFC--BOTH AIRBORNE AND ON THE GND. I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR MANUALLY AND ROCKED MY WINGS REPEATEDLY WHILE APCHING THE TWR, BUT NEVER RECEIVED A LIGHT SIGNAL. I THEREFORE CIRCLED AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND REPEATED THE APCH TO TWR TWICE, NEVER RECEIVING A LIGHT SIGNAL. THERE WAS NO OTHER IDENTABLE TFC EXCEPT FOR A TWIN ON SHORT FINAL AND I ELECTED TO LAND W/O A CLRNC. CLRING THE ACTIVE RWY, I SAT AT THE INTXN FACING THE CTL TWR AND WAITED ABOUT 2 MINS FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL, WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED. I THEN TAXIED TO THE NEAREST FBO AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE TWR. APCH SAID THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR ME, THAT THEIR PRIMARY RADAR SIGNAL HAD BEEN LOST NEAR A SMALLER, UNCONTROLLED ARPT AND THEY WERE CHKING TO SEE IF I HAD LANDED THERE, AND THE TWR HAD APPARENTLY NEVER SEEN ME, NEITHER IN THE AIR NOR ON THE GND.

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.