SMA PLT EXPERIENCES ACFT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF THE STL TCA. THE FIRST PROBLEM IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR THE OTHER.

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ON A FLT VFR BTWN FAIRFIELD; IA; AND ST LOUIS AND RETURN WITH ONE PAX DOWN AND THE SAME PAX PLUS ONE ON THE RETURN I EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT ALTERNATOR INDICATIONS. AFTER CHKING WX; FILING IFR AND PREFLTING ACFT I ATTEMPTED TO START ACFT BUT AFTER 3/4 REVOLUTIONS THE BATTERY WENT DEAD. I ASSUMED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER AND FAN HAD BEEN LEFT ON; PERHAPS ON A NIGHT FERRY FLT WHEN ACFT WAS BEING SECURED IN THE HANGAR. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO MAINT HANGAR WITH MECHS INSPECTING IT AND SUGGESTING A BATTERY CHARGE. THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED; THE ACFT STARTED AND TAXIED TO RWY. BEFORE RUNUP I NOTICED AN ALTERNATOR '0' INDICATION. I CALLED MAINT/RAMP MGR AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT PREVIOUS INDICATOR PROBLEMS HAD OCCURRED AND THAT THE PROBLEM WASN'T WITH OUTPUT. BASED UPON PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF THE INDICATOR; WHAT RAMP PEOPLE TOLD ME; CLR VFR CONDITIONS I CONTINUED THE FLT UNDER IFR WITH NO INCIDENTS. THE ALTERNATOR INDICATION CAME UP TO NORMAL BEFORE TKOF DURING RUNUP. ON LET DOWN TO ST LOUIS ATC MENTIONED THAT MY RADIOS SEEMED WEAK AND AT THAT TIME I NOTICED THAT ALTERNATOR WAS INDICATING '0.' I STATED TO ATC THAT I MIGHT BE HAVING ALTERNATOR PROBLEMS AND THAT I WOULD CHK IT OUT ON THE GND. LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND RADIO CONTACT ALWAYS AVAILABLE. ON LNDG I CONSULTED WITH A RAMP PERSON WHO I THOUGHT WAS AN A AND P. WE LOOKED OVER ALTERNATOR; PLACED A CHARGE ON THE BATTERY; AND STARTED THE AIRPLANE WITH ALTERNATOR COMING ON LINE. I DEPARTED ST LOUIS; VFR; WITH FULL RADIO CONTACT AND COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. ALL SYS IN THE ACFT WERE OPERATIONAL. LNDG IN FAIRFIELD; THE HEAD MECH LOOKED AT ACFT AND FOUND A WORN; FRAYED PWR LINE FROM ALTERNATOR THAT WAS ARCING INTERMITTENTLY; CAUSING THE ACTUAL ALTERNATOR PROBLEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTR CALLED AS HE IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FAA FOR A TCA VIOLATION; A FACT CONVENIENTLY LEFT UNMENTIONED IN HIS NARRATIVE.