CESSNA 172 PLT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR DURING AN IFR XCOUNTRY FLT AND DIVERTED TO A MIL BASE AND LANDED WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT.
Synopsis
CESSNA 172 PLT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR DURING AN IFR XCOUNTRY FLT AND DIVERTED TO A MIL BASE AND LANDED WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT.
Narrative
I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM CHARLESTON; SC; IN A C172. WHEN I WAS ABOUT HALF WAY BTWN CHARLESTON AND COLUMBIA; MY VOR'S STARTED TO ACT UP; BUT STILL SEEMED TO BE TRACKING CORRECTLY. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME; I REALIZED THAT THE VOR'S WERE NOT WORKING RIGHT. AS I BEGAN TO EXAMINE ITEMS; I NOTICED THAT MY LOW BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON. AFTER I RECYCLED THE MASTER WITH NO SUCCESS; I BEGAN TRYING TO CONTACT COLUMBIA APCH WITH NO SUCCESS. SHORTLY AFTER ALL THIS; MY RADIOS AND ALL ELECTRICAL DIED. BEING IFR; I SQUAWKED 7600 AND SINCE I WAS VMC AT THE TIME; I WENT FOR THE FIRST ARPT I COULD FIND. I FOUND MCENTIRE AIR FORCE BASE. AFTER TURNING AROUND OUTSIDE THE AIRSPACE AND NOT SEEING ANY LIGHT SIGNALS; I CROSSED OVER MIDFIELD; AND FOUND THE ACTIVE RWY. AFTER WAITING UNTIL THE F16'S HELD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY; I TURNED TO FINAL AND LANDED. I THEN CALLED FLT SVC TO INFORM THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT I WAS OK. PERHAPS IF I HAD BEEN MORE AWARE; I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE ALTERNATOR HAVING GONE OFF LINE AND COULD HAVE CONTACTED COLUMBIA APCH; WHILE I STILL HAD BATTERY PWR. ALSO; IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME THAT THE PLANE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE ALTERNATOR; I WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE PLANE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.