An small aircraft instructor pilot had an electrical failure in VMC. The result was a penetration of...

Attributes
ACN	222888
Time
Date	199210
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iah airport : aap
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah tower : aap
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	222888
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Small aircraft VFR in VMC. Complete electrical failure (no transponder, communication, navigation) approaching houston at 8500 ft to land at andrau airport (aap). Initial position west end bridge, highway 190 across lake livingston, 52 NM from iah on 005 radial. It was my intention to circle around iah on approximately 35 NM arc descending to 1000 ft before penetrating the 30 NM arc near aap. I switched from sectional chart to VFR terminal area chart and located my position at west end of bridge depicted on lake shown northwest of iah. Unknowingly, the bridge from which I took my position is on the lake conroe, not lake livingston. When I passed about 3 NM east of montgomery city airport (cxo) (within 30 NM arc for iah), I realized my mistake, immediately turned and descended passing 5 mi to the west of dwh and continuing south passing west of eyq and lyd and landing at aap. Minimal recent experience in pilotage is certainly the cause of this mistake of landmark identify on the charts. Relying almost exclusively on radio navaids has left me unprepared to cope with this requirement to navigation by pilotage. Turning off the navigation radios and brushing up on dead-reckoning and pilotage with visual landmarks is on the immediate agenda.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA INSTRUCTOR PLT HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN VMC. THE RESULT WAS A PENETRATION OF THE IAH TCA.

Narrative: SMA VFR IN VMC. COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE (NO TRANSPONDER, COM, NAV) APCHING HOUSTON AT 8500 FT TO LAND AT ANDRAU ARPT (AAP). INITIAL POS W END BRIDGE, HWY 190 ACROSS LAKE LIVINGSTON, 52 NM FROM IAH ON 005 RADIAL. IT WAS MY INTENTION TO CIRCLE AROUND IAH ON APPROX 35 NM ARC DSNDING TO 1000 FT BEFORE PENETRATING THE 30 NM ARC NEAR AAP. I SWITCHED FROM SECTIONAL CHART TO VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART AND LOCATED MY POS AT W END OF BRIDGE DEPICTED ON LAKE SHOWN NW OF IAH. UNKNOWINGLY, THE BRIDGE FROM WHICH I TOOK MY POS IS ON THE LAKE CONROE, NOT LAKE LIVINGSTON. WHEN I PASSED ABOUT 3 NM E OF MONTGOMERY CITY ARPT (CXO) (WITHIN 30 NM ARC FOR IAH), I REALIZED MY MISTAKE, IMMEDIATELY TURNED AND DSNDED PASSING 5 MI TO THE W OF DWH AND CONTINUING S PASSING W OF EYQ AND LYD AND LNDG AT AAP. MINIMAL RECENT EXPERIENCE IN PILOTAGE IS CERTAINLY THE CAUSE OF THIS MISTAKE OF LANDMARK IDENT ON THE CHARTS. RELYING ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON RADIO NAVAIDS HAS LEFT ME UNPREPARED TO COPE WITH THIS REQUIREMENT TO NAV BY PILOTAGE. TURNING OFF THE NAV RADIOS AND BRUSHING UP ON DEAD-RECKONING AND PILOTAGE WITH VISUAL LANDMARKS IS ON THE IMMEDIATE AGENDA.

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.

An small aircraft instructor pilot had an electrical failure in VMC. The result was a penetration of the iah TCA.