RPTR SUSPECTS POSSIBILITY MAY HAVE STRAYED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE STRUGGLING WITH A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL SYS.

Narrative

JUN/XA/95 BTWN THE HRS OF XA00 AM AND XB00 AM; AFTER AN IFR TO VFR ON TOP; I INTENDED TO TRANSIT THE CLASS B AIRSPACE THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA AT AN ALT OF 4500 FT NWBOUND FOR BAKERSFIELD. AFTER CANCELING MY CLRNC ON TOP; 2500 FT; I PROCEEDED ON COURSE; NAVING ON THE 132 DEG RADIAL OF SANTA MONICA VOR ON FREQ 110.8. I NOTED THAT THE VOR APPEARED TO BE INTERMITTENT; EVEN THOUGH THE IDENT SIGNAL WAS STRONG. I SET IN THE BOTTOM VOR AND IT WAS WORSE. THE LORAN C APPEARED TO BE WORKING; SO I SET A COURSE HDG OFF IT; AND USING MY COMPASS; PROCEEDED NWBOUND. THIS WAS MY ONLY CHOICE; SINCE TORRANCE WAS RPTING 900 FT OVCST AND THE VOR APCH FOR RWY 11L WAS IN USE. I COULD NOT RETURN TO TORRANCE; AND THE SURROUNDING ARPTS WERE MARGINAL VFR TO IFR CONDITIONS. I WAS ABLE TO USE THE SLI VOR AND THE LAX VOR SIGNALS AS CROSS RADIALS. PERHAPS THE SANTA MONICA VOR WAS OTS. HOWEVER; WHEN I CHKED WITH FSS FOR WX PRIOR TO DEPARTING TORRANCE; THE ONLY NAVAID RPTED OTS WAS THE GMN VOR. AFTER EXITING THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA; WHILE CLBING TO 4900 FT TO BE ABOVE THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF BURBANK AND THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF THE LAX UNDER 5000 FT; I LOST MY ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYS. I DO NOT BELIEVE I VIOLATED ANY AIRSPACE; BUT I AM WRITING THIS AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. I CONTINUED NBOUND LNDG VFR TO REPAIR THE ELECTRICAL; WHICH WAS A LOOSE WIRE ON THE AVIONICS MASTER WHICH APPARENTLY SHORTED OUT MY ENTIRE SYS. POSSIBLY DURING THE REPAIR OF THE MODE C PORTION OF MY ALTIMETER; PRIOR TO DEP; THIS WIRE WAS DISTURBED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED SHE WAS FLYING A GRUMMAN TIGER 4 PLACE BY HERSELF. SOON AFTER SHE HAD CLBED ON TOP AND CANCELED HER IFR TO PROCEED VFR; SHE LOST HER ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYS. SHE FLEW AT SUCH ALT AND TRACK SO AS TO AVOID THE CTLED AIRSPACE AS SHE NAVIGATED TOWARD THE HILLS AND ALONG THE GRAPE VINE TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARPT THAT WAS NOT RADIO CTLED WHERE SHE HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYS REPAIRED. SHE DID NOT HAVE A HAND HELD RADIO. SHE IS A BELIEVER THOUGH NOW AND SAYS 'SHE WILL NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT.' SHE IS A FLT INSTRUCTOR NOW.