SPI ON XCOUNTRY FLT HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. EMER LNDG.

Narrative

I AM A STUDENT PLT; AND WAS TO FLY A RENTAL SMA X ON SOLO FLT FROM ANN ARBOR; MICHIGAN TO MUSKEGON; MICHIGAN; TO FORT WAYNE; INDIANA; AND BACK TO ANN ARBOR. PRIOR TO DEP I COMPLETED THE PREFLT CHK; HAD BOTH FUEL TANKS TOPPED OFF; AND RECHKED THE FUEL AND FILLER CAPS. THE WX WAS CLR. ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLT; APPROX 25 NM SE OF THE GRAND RAPIDS ARSA AT 4500 MSL; I CONTACTED GRAND RAPIDS APCH AND REQUESTED VFR FLT ADVISORY SVC. AT APPROX AA00Z; SEVERAL MINS LATER; I NOTICED THAT MY RADIO RECEPTION WAS UNCLR. I CALLED APCH AND ASKED FOR A RADIO CHK. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY READ ME 'LOUD AND CLR'. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WHILE IN SIGHT OF KENT COUNTY INTL ARPT; MY RADIO FAILED TO RECEIVE ANY TRANSMISSIONS. I CHKED ALL OF THE RADIO CONTROLS AND WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. THE LIGHTED NUMBERS ON THE RADIO BECAME VERY DIM AND WERE FLASHING OFF AND ON. I CONSIDERED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO RIVERVIEW ARPT; WHICH IS APPROX 13 NM NW; AS IT IS AN UNCTLED ARPT NOT REQUIRING 2-WAY RADIO COM. AT THAT TIME; I NOTED THAT MY FUEL GAUGES READ 1/4 FULL. THINKING THAT I MIGHT BE XMITTING AND NOT RECEIVING; I CALLED GRAND RAPIDS APCH AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENT TO DIVERT TO RIVERVIEW ARPT. SHORTLY AFTER DIVERTING; I NOTED THAT BOTH FUEL GAUGES READ EMPTY. WHEN I LEFT ANN ARBOR; I ESTIMATED I HAD FUEL FOR 3 HRS AND 40 MINS. AT THAT POINT; I HAD BEEN FLYING APPROX 1 1/2 HRS AND SHOULD HAVE HAD ADEQUATE FUEL. CONSIDERING THE RADIO OR ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS; I DECIDED THAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS FLT WAS DEFINITELY IN QUESTION. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE RIVERVIEW ARPT; HOWEVER I WAS STILL IN CLR VIEW OF KENT COUNTY INTL ARPT. I DECIDED THAT LNDG AT KENT COUNTY INTL WAS MY BEST OPTION. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENT TO LAND AT KENT COUNTY INTL ON THE APCH FREQ. I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE TRANSPONDER PROC DURING 2-WAY COM FAILURE. I SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND THEN SWITCHED TO 7600. I THEN THOROUGHLY LOOKED FOR TFC; THERE WAS NONE. I COULD SEE AN AIRPLANE TAKING OFF ON RWY 26L. I DSNDED INTO THE TFC PATTERN FOR A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26L AND LOOKED FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE CTL TWR. AT THAT TIME; I WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY LIGHT SIGNALS. I TURNED BASE AND THEN FINAL AND WAS STILL UNABLE TO SEE ANY LIGHT SIGNALS. I HAD LEFT MY RADIO ON THE APCH FREQ. WHILE ON FINAL; I WAS ABLE TO FAINTLY HEAR A CLRNC TO LAND. AFTER LNDG; I CLRED THE RWY AND MOVED OUT OF THE WAY; AS A LARGE JET WAS WAITING TO DEPART. I THEN RECEIVED A GREEN FLASHING LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR; AND COULD SEE A CTLR MOTIONING FOR ME TO TAXI WWARD. I PARKED AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED LANSING FSS AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN. AN ARPT SECURITY OFFICER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO DIRECT ME TO THE FBO. I CALLED FBO IN ANN ARBOR INFORMING THEM OF WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. THE CENTER SENT AN SMA Y WITH PERSONNEL TO KENT COUNTY. I WAS FLOWN BACK TO ANN ARBOR IN THE SMA Y. FBO PERSONNEL FLEW SMA X BACK TO ANN ARBOR. I CALLED THE GRAND RAPIDS TWR TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP AND TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THAT I CAUSED. I SPOKE WITH THE TWR MGR WHO STATED THAT HIS ONLY CONCERN WAS THAT I WAS ALL RIGHT. HE DID NOT INDICATE THAT ANY OF MY ACTIONS WERE INAPPROPRIATE; AND DID NOT REQUEST A WRITTEN RPT. IT WAS LATER ASCERTAINED THAT I HAD A DEFECTIVE HEADPHONE SET WHICH CAUSED THE RADIO TO MALFUNCTION. THE FUEL WAS ADEQUATE. I DID OBTAIN A NEW SET OF HEADPHONES AND WILL RETURN MY OLD ONES TO THE FACTORY FOR REPAIR. I ALSO PURCHASED A HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER TO USE AS A BACKUP RADIO. I NOW KNOW; IN THE EVENT OF RADIO FAILURE TO UNPLUG THE HEADPHONE SYS AND TRY THE SPEAKER. I AM MOST APPRECIATIVE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ASSISTED ME IN RETURNING SAFELY. IT IS VERY COMFORTING TO KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE GND READY AND ABLE TO HELP.