BE36 pilot executes no-gyro approach following alternator failure.

Attributes
ACN	555627
Time
Date	200207
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny.artcc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog Turbulence Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	555627
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : hsi other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On jul/sun/02, while on an IFR flight plan from osh to smq in the vicinity of johnstown, PA, I experienced an electrical failure (alternator) while in solid IMC at 9000 ft. ZNY controllers were very helpful in declaring an emergency for me as it was difficult holding heading as HSI was electric. Aircraft was equipped with a standby alternator but, when pwred up, it did not power the HSI! During this period, altitude dropped a total of 1000 ft, down to 8000 ft mstl and heading varied 60 degrees. Control was restored by start turn, stop turn and descent to ZZZ airport ILS runway 13 which I had practiced many times. A partial panel ILS approach was executed under very stressful conditions breaking out at ft. Numerous altitude and heading deviations occurred while being vectored to the localizer course by the controllers. The event ended with a normal landing on runway 13 at ZZZ. The suggestion is that the standby alternator system supplied by beechcraft is inadequate as it is 'hard wired' to power certain accessories and not the HSI. The his, I believe, is key in such a stressful situation and is better than relying on a wet compass in IMC and turbulence in the descent. Other standby system power the HSI but the oem beech system does not. This needs to be corrected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter's horizon and vertical speed instruments were functioning normally but he fixated on the loss of the primary heading indicator and, therefore, did not use his horizon and vsi to maintain proper attitude initially. He stated that he will be getting additional proficiency training. Reporter states that he has learned of an after-market stc'ed standby alternator that can be connected to the primary AC bus rather than the emergency electrical bus and which can be wired to power any items which the pilot wants on standby power.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 PLT EXECUTES NO-GYRO APCH FOLLOWING ALTERNATOR FAILURE.

Narrative: ON JUL/SUN/02, WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM OSH TO SMQ IN THE VICINITY OF JOHNSTOWN, PA, I EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE (ALTERNATOR) WHILE IN SOLID IMC AT 9000 FT. ZNY CTLRS WERE VERY HELPFUL IN DECLARING AN EMER FOR ME AS IT WAS DIFFICULT HOLDING HDG AS HSI WAS ELECTRIC. ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A STANDBY ALTERNATOR BUT, WHEN PWRED UP, IT DID NOT PWR THE HSI! DURING THIS PERIOD, ALT DROPPED A TOTAL OF 1000 FT, DOWN TO 8000 FT MSTL AND HDG VARIED 60 DEGS. CTL WAS RESTORED BY START TURN, STOP TURN AND DSCNT TO ZZZ ARPT ILS RWY 13 WHICH I HAD PRACTICED MANY TIMES. A PARTIAL PANEL ILS APCH WAS EXECUTED UNDER VERY STRESSFUL CONDITIONS BREAKING OUT AT FT. NUMEROUS ALT AND HDG DEVS OCCURRED WHILE BEING VECTORED TO THE LOC COURSE BY THE CTLRS. THE EVENT ENDED WITH A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 13 AT ZZZ. THE SUGGESTION IS THAT THE STANDBY ALTERNATOR SYS SUPPLIED BY BEECHCRAFT IS INADEQUATE AS IT IS 'HARD WIRED' TO PWR CERTAIN ACCESSORIES AND NOT THE HSI. THE HIS, I BELIEVE, IS KEY IN SUCH A STRESSFUL SIT AND IS BETTER THAN RELYING ON A WET COMPASS IN IMC AND TURB IN THE DSCNT. OTHER STANDBY SYS PWR THE HSI BUT THE OEM BEECH SYS DOES NOT. THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR'S HORIZON AND VERT SPD INSTS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY BUT HE FIXATED ON THE LOSS OF THE PRIMARY HDG INDICATOR AND, THEREFORE, DID NOT USE HIS HORIZON AND VSI TO MAINTAIN PROPER ATTITUDE INITIALLY. HE STATED THAT HE WILL BE GETTING ADDITIONAL PROFICIENCY TRAINING. RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS LEARNED OF AN AFTER-MARKET STC'ED STANDBY ALTERNATOR THAT CAN BE CONNECTED TO THE PRIMARY AC BUS RATHER THAN THE EMER ELECTRICAL BUS AND WHICH CAN BE WIRED TO PWR ANY ITEMS WHICH THE PLT WANTS ON STANDBY PWR.

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.