Narrative:

During flight from bfl to vgt, we had occasional turbulence and my head/headset bumped the overhead panel (switches) a few times. I think my headset bumped the generator switch to the off position (or I may have turned the generator off by mistake). The important fact is the generator was turned off and I failed to see the problem until the battery was depleted and I had a total failure. Electrical (generator) power was restored on final and a landing clearance was received. The failure caused intermittent, faulty, no mode C information and added to controller workload. Contributing to slow analysis/solution of problem were need to maintain traffic lookout, intermittent radios (dying battery) and location of ammeter at right side of overhead panel. I will modify my airplane by adding guards to battery and generator switches, adding a generator fail light or move ammeter to engine instrument panel. I will also try to 'fly smarter' with better and more thorough cross checks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURBULENT FLT PLT MAY HAVE BUMPED HEADSET AGAINST OVERHEAD SWITCHES. GENERATOR IN OFF POSITION. MADE NORDO APCH. RESTORED GENERATOR ON FINAL AND RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: DURING FLT FROM BFL TO VGT, WE HAD OCCASIONAL TURB AND MY HEAD/HEADSET BUMPED THE OVERHEAD PANEL (SWITCHES) A FEW TIMES. I THINK MY HEADSET BUMPED THE GENERATOR SWITCH TO THE OFF POS (OR I MAY HAVE TURNED THE GENERATOR OFF BY MISTAKE). THE IMPORTANT FACT IS THE GENERATOR WAS TURNED OFF AND I FAILED TO SEE THE PROB UNTIL THE BATTERY WAS DEPLETED AND I HAD A TOTAL FAILURE. ELECTRICAL (GENERATOR) PWR WAS RESTORED ON FINAL AND A LNDG CLRNC WAS RECEIVED. THE FAILURE CAUSED INTERMITTENT, FAULTY, NO MODE C INFO AND ADDED TO CTLR WORKLOAD. CONTRIBUTING TO SLOW ANALYSIS/SOLUTION OF PROB WERE NEED TO MAINTAIN TFC LOOKOUT, INTERMITTENT RADIOS (DYING BATTERY) AND LOCATION OF AMMETER AT R SIDE OF OVERHEAD PANEL. I WILL MODIFY MY AIRPLANE BY ADDING GUARDS TO BATTERY AND GENERATOR SWITCHES, ADDING A GENERATOR FAIL LIGHT OR MOVE AMMETER TO ENG INST PANEL. I WILL ALSO TRY TO 'FLY SMARTER' WITH BETTER AND MORE THOROUGH CROSS CHKS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.