Narrative:

I left fws flying to ppa with a weak battery in an small aircraft. The alternator showed to be charging, but radio reception was weak on communication and navigation radios. I'm not sure if I had mode C and full use of radios on the departure flight or not. I do know that I did not hear any radios or electrical at all on the return flight, 5/bi/91. On my initial landing at ppa on 5/bg/91, the unicom operator reported my radio was weak and almost inaudible. Upon preparing to leave ppa, we found the battery dead and required external power to start the engine. I had received a WX briefing and filed a flight plan about midday local time. After starting the aircraft, the alternator charged heavily for a few seconds and dropped to no charge at all by end of taxi to end of runway. I proceeded on my flight home by way of my filed flight plan. I was unable to open my flight plan as all radios were completely dead. I turned off the master switch and flew the rest of the flight west/O any electrical and with the master switch off. I had no transponder, navigation equipment (except current charts and compass), fuel gauges or other electric indicators (oil temperature, etc). I flew the flight plan until reaching bpr VOR, and then turned south to act before turning east to a point directly south of home base, F54. I turned directly north. When slightly east of F54 I turned west to east of F54, I turned west to enter left-hand pattern and land safely on runway 16. I do not know of any near misses of conflicts with other traffic. I also may have needed to class this flight as no flight plan, as the flight plan was unopened by radio. After landing at home base to have the aircraft repaired, it was found that the alternator brushes were worn and they were replaced and repaired. I also was told I should have called ATC for a clearance to operate on an aircraft under the 30 mi circle for which all aircraft are required to have mode C xponders. That is the reason I am filing this safety report. If more information is needed, please notify me. Also, if flying into ATC west/O mode C is considered a criminal act, please notify me so I can contact a lawyer or take proper action to protect myself and meet the requirements of the law properly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: pilot states he certainly learned a lot from this experience. Has talked with many people at FBO and pilot meetings and now knows of other options. Analyst also counseled that this is not a criminal offense, but definitely was a civil violation. No FAA follow-up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLIES BELOW TCA, BUT WITHIN THE 30 MILE VEIL WITHOUT OPERATING TRANSPONDER.

Narrative: I LEFT FWS FLYING TO PPA WITH A WEAK BATTERY IN AN SMA. THE ALTERNATOR SHOWED TO BE CHARGING, BUT RADIO RECEPTION WAS WEAK ON COM AND NAV RADIOS. I'M NOT SURE IF I HAD MODE C AND FULL USE OF RADIOS ON THE DEP FLT OR NOT. I DO KNOW THAT I DID NOT HEAR ANY RADIOS OR ELECTRICAL AT ALL ON THE RETURN FLT, 5/BI/91. ON MY INITIAL LNDG AT PPA ON 5/BG/91, THE UNICOM OPERATOR RPTED MY RADIO WAS WEAK AND ALMOST INAUDIBLE. UPON PREPARING TO LEAVE PPA, WE FOUND THE BATTERY DEAD AND REQUIRED EXTERNAL PWR TO START THE ENG. I HAD RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING AND FILED A FLT PLAN ABOUT MIDDAY LCL TIME. AFTER STARTING THE ACFT, THE ALTERNATOR CHARGED HEAVILY FOR A FEW SECS AND DROPPED TO NO CHARGE AT ALL BY END OF TAXI TO END OF RWY. I PROCEEDED ON MY FLT HOME BY WAY OF MY FILED FLT PLAN. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN MY FLT PLAN AS ALL RADIOS WERE COMPLETELY DEAD. I TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND FLEW THE REST OF THE FLT W/O ANY ELECTRICAL AND WITH THE MASTER SWITCH OFF. I HAD NO XPONDER, NAV EQUIP (EXCEPT CURRENT CHARTS AND COMPASS), FUEL GAUGES OR OTHER ELECTRIC INDICATORS (OIL TEMP, ETC). I FLEW THE FLT PLAN UNTIL REACHING BPR VOR, AND THEN TURNED S TO ACT BEFORE TURNING E TO A POINT DIRECTLY S OF HOME BASE, F54. I TURNED DIRECTLY N. WHEN SLIGHTLY E OF F54 I TURNED W TO E OF F54, I TURNED W TO ENTER LEFT-HAND PATTERN AND LAND SAFELY ON RWY 16. I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY NEAR MISSES OF CONFLICTS WITH OTHER TFC. I ALSO MAY HAVE NEEDED TO CLASS THIS FLT AS NO FLT PLAN, AS THE FLT PLAN WAS UNOPENED BY RADIO. AFTER LNDG AT HOME BASE TO HAVE THE ACFT REPAIRED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ALTERNATOR BRUSHES WERE WORN AND THEY WERE REPLACED AND REPAIRED. I ALSO WAS TOLD I SHOULD HAVE CALLED ATC FOR A CLRNC TO OPERATE ON AN ACFT UNDER THE 30 MI CIRCLE FOR WHICH ALL ACFT ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE MODE C XPONDERS. THAT IS THE REASON I AM FILING THIS SAFETY RPT. IF MORE INFO IS NEEDED, PLEASE NOTIFY ME. ALSO, IF FLYING INTO ATC W/O MODE C IS CONSIDERED A CRIMINAL ACT, PLEASE NOTIFY ME SO I CAN CONTACT A LAWYER OR TAKE PROPER ACTION TO PROTECT MYSELF AND MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW PROPERLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT STATES HE CERTAINLY LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. HAS TALKED WITH MANY PEOPLE AT FBO AND PLT MEETINGS AND NOW KNOWS OF OTHER OPTIONS. ANALYST ALSO COUNSELED THAT THIS IS NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENSE, BUT DEFINITELY WAS A CIVIL VIOLATION. NO FAA FOLLOW-UP.

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.