Narrative:

After sunset on feb/xx/96, while cruising at 11500 ft in a rented cessna 210 on a filed VFR flight plan with flight following from gnv to eyw, I experienced a complete electrical failure in the vicinity of rsw. I entered 7600 on the transponder and tried 2 radio xmissions to ZMA without reply. The transponder ceased to reply about 5 mins later. After considering all alternatives, I concluded that the best and safest decision was to continue to eyw which was clearly visible, where I was expected and where I anticipated my arrival at eyw would be known since my intentions would be unambiguous, ZMA was aware of my communication problems and could follow my progress to eyw. Upon my arrival at the northern shoreline of key west, I tried to signal the tower with my flashlight to no avail. I overflew the center of the field at 1500 ft and lowered the gear. After turning downwind, I saw an aircraft on left base for runway 9 and extended my downwind leg to allow spacing. As I was turning base for runway 9, I noticed what appeared to be smoke rising from the defroster vent on top of the panel. With no flaps, and no lights I executed a shallow 95 mph approach while looking for conflicting traffic both in the air and on the ground. I saw none other than the previously mentioned aircraft which was clearing the far end of the runway. I completed my landing safely at eyw about the expected time of arrival according to my filed flight plan (about XX40 EST) and cleared the active runway as soon as possible, exiting about mid- field. Since there was still smoke coming from the defroster vent, I taxied immediately to the ramp and clear of the taxiway and saw a fire truck headed my way. I headed toward the fire truck and shut down as soon as I approached the fire truck and we exited the aircraft. The cause of the electrical failure was the connector plug coming loose from the voltage regulator. The mechanic who repaired the plane safetied the plug in position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR AT NIGHT OVER SEVERAL PERFECTLY GOOD ARPTS AND CONTINUED ON APPROX 140 MI, OVER OPEN OCEAN, TO HIS DEST. HE LANDED SUCCESSFULLY AFTER PENETRATING THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF A NEARBY ARPT TO HIS DEST AND THE DEST ARPT, AND LANDED WITHOUT LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR.

Narrative: AFTER SUNSET ON FEB/XX/96, WHILE CRUISING AT 11500 FT IN A RENTED CESSNA 210 ON A FILED VFR FLT PLAN WITH FLT FOLLOWING FROM GNV TO EYW, I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE VICINITY OF RSW. I ENTERED 7600 ON THE XPONDER AND TRIED 2 RADIO XMISSIONS TO ZMA WITHOUT REPLY. THE XPONDER CEASED TO REPLY ABOUT 5 MINS LATER. AFTER CONSIDERING ALL ALTERNATIVES, I CONCLUDED THAT THE BEST AND SAFEST DECISION WAS TO CONTINUE TO EYW WHICH WAS CLRLY VISIBLE, WHERE I WAS EXPECTED AND WHERE I ANTICIPATED MY ARR AT EYW WOULD BE KNOWN SINCE MY INTENTIONS WOULD BE UNAMBIGUOUS, ZMA WAS AWARE OF MY COM PROBS AND COULD FOLLOW MY PROGRESS TO EYW. UPON MY ARR AT THE NORTHERN SHORELINE OF KEY WEST, I TRIED TO SIGNAL THE TWR WITH MY FLASHLIGHT TO NO AVAIL. I OVERFLEW THE CTR OF THE FIELD AT 1500 FT AND LOWERED THE GEAR. AFTER TURNING DOWNWIND, I SAW AN ACFT ON L BASE FOR RWY 9 AND EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND LEG TO ALLOW SPACING. AS I WAS TURNING BASE FOR RWY 9, I NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMOKE RISING FROM THE DEFROSTER VENT ON TOP OF THE PANEL. WITH NO FLAPS, AND NO LIGHTS I EXECUTED A SHALLOW 95 MPH APCH WHILE LOOKING FOR CONFLICTING TFC BOTH IN THE AIR AND ON THE GND. I SAW NONE OTHER THAN THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ACFT WHICH WAS CLRING THE FAR END OF THE RWY. I COMPLETED MY LNDG SAFELY AT EYW ABOUT THE EXPECTED TIME OF ARR ACCORDING TO MY FILED FLT PLAN (ABOUT XX40 EST) AND CLRED THE ACTIVE RWY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, EXITING ABOUT MID- FIELD. SINCE THERE WAS STILL SMOKE COMING FROM THE DEFROSTER VENT, I TAXIED IMMEDIATELY TO THE RAMP AND CLR OF THE TXWY AND SAW A FIRE TRUCK HEADED MY WAY. I HEADED TOWARD THE FIRE TRUCK AND SHUT DOWN AS SOON AS I APCHED THE FIRE TRUCK AND WE EXITED THE ACFT. THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS THE CONNECTOR PLUG COMING LOOSE FROM THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR. THE MECH WHO REPAIRED THE PLANE SAFETIED THE PLUG IN POS.

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.