Narrative:

This incident is initially triggered by the alternator/battery failure en route to norwood, ma, during the return leg at night from a business trip. Contributing factors: with the loss of alternator, the following factors led to probable airspace intrusion: 1) loss of electrical power. 2) unfamiliar surroundings due to lack of daylight. 3) relatively low visibility associated with haze and fog at altitudes (approximately 4-5 mi). 4) psychological factors, worried about arriving thunderstorm cells. 5) loss of landing visual aids, ie, ability to use pilot controled lightings and landing lights. Realization of error and corrective actions: the possible airspace intrusion was realized after making a turn to follow a highway and saw a familiar landmark (train station) on pilot's (my) side. The train station is located approximately 10 mi south of inner ring of boston class B airspace. As soon as I saw the train station, I made a 180 degree turn immediately to exit the airspace. Performance considerations: under normal circumstances, I would use navaids in addition to visual aids to enhance the situational awareness especially in unfamiliar surroundings. Even though I have flown around boston airspace for several months already, this is my second cross country flight at night around boston, therefore, I was not familiar with the landmarks' appearance in the night. While en route, after I realized the alternator had failed, I shut off all electrical equipment except instrument lights and transponder to conserve remaining battery power. The reason for turning off all navaids and radios is to avoid a potential landing with no lights as a visual cue, which is extremely unsafe. Further more, I descended down to 1800 ft to stay beneath the class B veil and follow hwys until I have norwood airport in sight and be able to turn on runway lights. At that time, all surrounding airports except boston logan (bos) use pilot controled lightings. Despite bos is a viable alternate, it requires 2-WAY radio communication, and a transponder. I was worried about the impending thunderstorm and IMC WX. Given the unknown remaining battery power that could fail at any moment causing total electrical failure, a transponder that might not be working, and the possibility of flying into IMC, I elected to proceed to norwood as planned. Unfortunately, I followed a wrong highway and led to this possible intrusion. Correction to the situation: prior to departure, I had planned to obtain the boston VFR terminal chart, but the pilot shop was closed by the time we arrived at the airport. In retrospect, had I had a VFR terminal chart and more familiarity with the area, the changes for this incident would have been reduced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CONTACT. FAILED ALTERNATOR.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT IS INITIALLY TRIGGERED BY THE ALTERNATOR/BATTERY FAILURE ENRTE TO NORWOOD, MA, DURING THE RETURN LEG AT NIGHT FROM A BUSINESS TRIP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WITH THE LOSS OF ALTERNATOR, THE FOLLOWING FACTORS LED TO PROBABLE AIRSPACE INTRUSION: 1) LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. 2) UNFAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS DUE TO LACK OF DAYLIGHT. 3) RELATIVELY LOW VISIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH HAZE AND FOG AT ALTS (APPROX 4-5 MI). 4) PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS, WORRIED ABOUT ARRIVING TSTM CELLS. 5) LOSS OF LNDG VISUAL AIDS, IE, ABILITY TO USE PLT CTLED LIGHTINGS AND LNDG LIGHTS. REALIZATION OF ERROR AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THE POSSIBLE AIRSPACE INTRUSION WAS REALIZED AFTER MAKING A TURN TO FOLLOW A HWY AND SAW A FAMILIAR LANDMARK (TRAIN STATION) ON PLT'S (MY) SIDE. THE TRAIN STATION IS LOCATED APPROX 10 MI S OF INNER RING OF BOSTON CLASS B AIRSPACE. AS SOON AS I SAW THE TRAIN STATION, I MADE A 180 DEG TURN IMMEDIATELY TO EXIT THE AIRSPACE. PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD USE NAVAIDS IN ADDITION TO VISUAL AIDS TO ENHANCE THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ESPECIALLY IN UNFAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE FLOWN AROUND BOSTON AIRSPACE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS ALREADY, THIS IS MY SECOND XCOUNTRY FLT AT NIGHT AROUND BOSTON, THEREFORE, I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LANDMARKS' APPEARANCE IN THE NIGHT. WHILE ENRTE, AFTER I REALIZED THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED, I SHUT OFF ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP EXCEPT INST LIGHTS AND XPONDER TO CONSERVE REMAINING BATTERY PWR. THE REASON FOR TURNING OFF ALL NAVAIDS AND RADIOS IS TO AVOID A POTENTIAL LNDG WITH NO LIGHTS AS A VISUAL CUE, WHICH IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE. FURTHER MORE, I DSNDED DOWN TO 1800 FT TO STAY BENEATH THE CLASS B VEIL AND FOLLOW HWYS UNTIL I HAVE NORWOOD ARPT IN SIGHT AND BE ABLE TO TURN ON RWY LIGHTS. AT THAT TIME, ALL SURROUNDING ARPTS EXCEPT BOSTON LOGAN (BOS) USE PLT CTLED LIGHTINGS. DESPITE BOS IS A VIABLE ALTERNATE, IT REQUIRES 2-WAY RADIO COM, AND A XPONDER. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPENDING TSTM AND IMC WX. GIVEN THE UNKNOWN REMAINING BATTERY PWR THAT COULD FAIL AT ANY MOMENT CAUSING TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, A XPONDER THAT MIGHT NOT BE WORKING, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FLYING INTO IMC, I ELECTED TO PROCEED TO NORWOOD AS PLANNED. UNFORTUNATELY, I FOLLOWED A WRONG HWY AND LED TO THIS POSSIBLE INTRUSION. CORRECTION TO THE SIT: PRIOR TO DEP, I HAD PLANNED TO OBTAIN THE BOSTON VFR TERMINAL CHART, BUT THE PLT SHOP WAS CLOSED BY THE TIME WE ARRIVED AT THE ARPT. IN RETROSPECT, HAD I HAD A VFR TERMINAL CHART AND MORE FAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA, THE CHANGES FOR THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN REDUCED.

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.