Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan out of ilg en route to smyrna VOR when I lost my total electrical system on the small aircraft I had rented. I had been talking to dover approach. They had got to a point that they could not read my transponder. My vors, radios, transponder, and fuel gauges all went out. My last transmission was with dover approach. I had to try to time my distance to chops intersection and then proceed to ott then direct W32. I remained on the IFR clearance that had been issued me by using my compass and E6 to calculate time to intersection, vors and destination. When I landed at W32, I called FSS and washington approach to let them know I landed. I ask leesburg FSS to let dover approach know that I had to total electrical failure the reason I could not talk to them nor indicate via transponder of radio failure. Washington approach had called W32 to make sure I arrived safely. I called them back and told washington approach that I had a total electrical failure. The man said that they had followed me along my route and just wanted me to know that they had not left me out there alone. I thanked him and hung up the telephone. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reporter failed to fill in a few important blanks. On callback, she said that she is IFR rated, the WX was IMC when she lost her electrical system, and that the ceiling was about 1400 ft. It was VMC under the overcast. Approach control was able to track her to touchdown, so there was no panic in the ATC system. She is pleased with the way ATC handled her, and she is very pleased with the handling she got from ATC, both during and after the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT LOST HER ELECTRICAL SYS. RADIOS AND TRANSPONDER WHILE IN IMC. AS SHE FLEW HER PLANNED FLT, SHE ARRIVED SAFELY AT HER DEST.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN OUT OF ILG ENRTE TO SMYRNA VOR WHEN I LOST MY TOTAL ELECTRICAL SYS ON THE SMA I HAD RENTED. I HAD BEEN TALKING TO DOVER APCH. THEY HAD GOT TO A POINT THAT THEY COULD NOT READ MY TRANSPONDER. MY VORS, RADIOS, TRANSPONDER, AND FUEL GAUGES ALL WENT OUT. MY LAST XMISSION WAS WITH DOVER APCH. I HAD TO TRY TO TIME MY DISTANCE TO CHOPS INTXN AND THEN PROCEED TO OTT THEN DIRECT W32. I REMAINED ON THE IFR CLRNC THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED ME BY USING MY COMPASS AND E6 TO CALCULATE TIME TO INTXN, VORS AND DEST. WHEN I LANDED AT W32, I CALLED FSS AND WASHINGTON APCH TO LET THEM KNOW I LANDED. I ASK LEESBURG FSS TO LET DOVER APCH KNOW THAT I HAD TO TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE THE REASON I COULD NOT TALK TO THEM NOR INDICATE VIA TRANSPONDER OF RADIO FAILURE. WASHINGTON APCH HAD CALLED W32 TO MAKE SURE I ARRIVED SAFELY. I CALLED THEM BACK AND TOLD WASHINGTON APCH THAT I HAD A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE MAN SAID THAT THEY HAD FOLLOWED ME ALONG MY RTE AND JUST WANTED ME TO KNOW THAT THEY HAD NOT LEFT ME OUT THERE ALONE. I THANKED HIM AND HUNG UP THE TELEPHONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTR FAILED TO FILL IN A FEW IMPORTANT BLANKS. ON CALLBACK, SHE SAID THAT SHE IS IFR RATED, THE WX WAS IMC WHEN SHE LOST HER ELECTRICAL SYS, AND THAT THE CEILING WAS ABOUT 1400 FT. IT WAS VMC UNDER THE OVCST. APCH CTL WAS ABLE TO TRACK HER TO TOUCHDOWN, SO THERE WAS NO PANIC IN THE ATC SYS. SHE IS PLEASED WITH THE WAY ATC HANDLED HER, AND SHE IS VERY PLEASED WITH THE HANDLING SHE GOT FROM ATC, BOTH DURING AND AFTER THE FLT.

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.