Narrative:

The problem arose on the morning of dec 1996, while I was holding at craig VOR at 5000 ft. I am flying for a part 135 non scheduled carrier in a C210, so I was operating under part 135 when the problem occurred. Local conditions were foggy, jacksonville international was reporting 1200-1600 ft RVR sky 100 ft obscured. Craig airport was a little better with one quarter to one half mi visibility with about 200 ft overcast. I was VFR on top holding over craig waiting for conditions to improve enough at jax so I could attempt the ILS runway 7 approach. I noticed, after holding for approximately 20 mins that my ammeter was indicating a discharge. Oddly, my right fuel gauge had dropped to zero and the low voltage warning light did not come on. I followed the checklist and tried to recycle the alternator. No change occurred to the ammeter and the low voltage warning light still did not come on. Because the low voltage warning light had worked during my run-up, I assumed this was a problem with the gauge rather than alternator, especially since the right fuel gauge also seemed to fail. Nevertheless, I shut off all non essential electrical equipment and then advised jacksonville approach of my problem. While this was going on the fog had thinned enough at craig that I could see the airport and the runways through the fog. I requested the ILS runway 32 at craig even though the reported visibility was still one half mi (three quarters of a mi is required for the approach). I advised ATC that the problem was a possible alternator failure and I was afraid craig's conditions would deteriorate as jax was not improving. ATC vectored me for the approach and then cleared me. I had no problem until I lowered the landing gear. The hydraulic power pack must have drained the battery, because I lost all electrical power. I immediately pulled the circuit breaker for the gear and lowered them the rest of the way down manually. I was able to raise craig tower again, informed them of the problem that I had gone missed and declared an emergency. As I circled over the airport at 800 ft I had both runways in sight. Tower cleared me to land on whatever runway I could. I was able to circle and visually land on runway 5. By the time I pulled off the runway I again lost all electrical power and had to be cleared back to the ramp via light gun signals. The biggest factor, I think, was the fact that I was on duty for approximately 13 hours and on my way home when this problem occurred -- fatigue was definitely a factor. I probably would have noticed the problem sooner, not assumed it was a gauge problem and lowered the gear manually to begin with as the checklist calls for if I was not so tired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210, PART 135 OP WAS HOLDING FOR WX IMPROVEMENT JAX. NOTED DISCHARGE ON AMMETER. ACCOUNT FATIGUE AND THE LOSS OF R FUEL GAUGE, ASSUMED IT WAS A GAUGE PROB. CRG WAS VISIBLE THROUGH THE FOG AND ADVISED CTLR HE HAD A POSSIBLE ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND WOULD LAND AT CRG. VECTORED FOR APCH AND WHEN GEAR LOWERED LOST ALL ELECTRICAL. WAS ABLE TO COM WITH CRG TWR AND KEEP RWY IN SIGHT MADE SUCCESSFUL LNDG. DECLARED EMER WHEN THE GEAR WAS LOWERED MANUALLY.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE ON THE MORNING OF DEC 1996, WHILE I WAS HOLDING AT CRAIG VOR AT 5000 FT. I AM FLYING FOR A PART 135 NON SCHEDULED CARRIER IN A C210, SO I WAS OPERATING UNDER PART 135 WHEN THE PROB OCCURRED. LCL CONDITIONS WERE FOGGY, JACKSONVILLE INTL WAS RPTING 1200-1600 FT RVR SKY 100 FT OBSCURED. CRAIG ARPT WAS A LITTLE BETTER WITH ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF MI VISIBILITY WITH ABOUT 200 FT OVCST. I WAS VFR ON TOP HOLDING OVER CRAIG WAITING FOR CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE ENOUGH AT JAX SO I COULD ATTEMPT THE ILS RWY 7 APCH. I NOTICED, AFTER HOLDING FOR APPROX 20 MINS THAT MY AMMETER WAS INDICATING A DISCHARGE. ODDLY, MY R FUEL GAUGE HAD DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE LOW VOLTAGE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I FOLLOWED THE CHKLIST AND TRIED TO RECYCLE THE ALTERNATOR. NO CHANGE OCCURRED TO THE AMMETER AND THE LOW VOLTAGE WARNING LIGHT STILL DID NOT COME ON. BECAUSE THE LOW VOLTAGE WARNING LIGHT HAD WORKED DURING MY RUN-UP, I ASSUMED THIS WAS A PROB WITH THE GAUGE RATHER THAN ALTERNATOR, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE R FUEL GAUGE ALSO SEEMED TO FAIL. NEVERTHELESS, I SHUT OFF ALL NON ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIP AND THEN ADVISED JACKSONVILLE APCH OF MY PROB. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON THE FOG HAD THINNED ENOUGH AT CRAIG THAT I COULD SEE THE ARPT AND THE RWYS THROUGH THE FOG. I REQUESTED THE ILS RWY 32 AT CRAIG EVEN THOUGH THE RPTED VISIBILITY WAS STILL ONE HALF MI (THREE QUARTERS OF A MI IS REQUIRED FOR THE APCH). I ADVISED ATC THAT THE PROB WAS A POSSIBLE ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND I WAS AFRAID CRAIG'S CONDITIONS WOULD DETERIORATE AS JAX WAS NOT IMPROVING. ATC VECTORED ME FOR THE APCH AND THEN CLRED ME. I HAD NO PROB UNTIL I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR. THE HYD PWR PACK MUST HAVE DRAINED THE BATTERY, BECAUSE I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE GEAR AND LOWERED THEM THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN MANUALLY. I WAS ABLE TO RAISE CRAIG TWR AGAIN, INFORMED THEM OF THE PROB THAT I HAD GONE MISSED AND DECLARED AN EMER. AS I CIRCLED OVER THE ARPT AT 800 FT I HAD BOTH RWYS IN SIGHT. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON WHATEVER RWY I COULD. I WAS ABLE TO CIRCLE AND VISUALLY LAND ON RWY 5. BY THE TIME I PULLED OFF THE RWY I AGAIN LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR AND HAD TO BE CLRED BACK TO THE RAMP VIA LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. THE BIGGEST FACTOR, I THINK, WAS THE FACT THAT I WAS ON DUTY FOR APPROX 13 HRS AND ON MY WAY HOME WHEN THIS PROB OCCURRED -- FATIGUE WAS DEFINITELY A FACTOR. I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE PROB SOONER, NOT ASSUMED IT WAS A GAUGE PROB AND LOWERED THE GEAR MANUALLY TO BEGIN WITH AS THE CHKLIST CALLS FOR IF I WAS NOT SO TIRED.

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.