C172 PLT COMPLIED WITH ALL PROCS FOR DEPARTING AN ARPT WITHIN DC ADIZ. AFTER TKOF HE FOUND THE ACFT HAD HAD COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE; THAT RENDERED HIS RADIOS AND XPONDER INOPERATIVE.
Synopsis
C172 PLT COMPLIED WITH ALL PROCS FOR DEPARTING AN ARPT WITHIN DC ADIZ. AFTER TKOF HE FOUND THE ACFT HAD HAD COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE; THAT RENDERED HIS RADIOS AND XPONDER INOPERATIVE.
Narrative
ON 03/SAT/03; AT APPROX XA45 I CONTACTED BWI CLRNC DELIVERY TO OBTAIN A XPONDER CODE AND ATC FREQUENCY TO DEPART FROM THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK GAI AIRPARK INSIDE THE DC ADIZ FOR A FLT HGR. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO DELIVER THE ACFT FOR ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION. I RECEIVED CODE AND FREQUENCY 128.7; WAS TOLD TO HEAD TOWARD FDK UNTIL OUTSIDE THE ADIZ AND I DEPARTED GAI. UPON TURNING CROSSWIND AT ABOUT 1000 FT MSL; I ATTEMPTED A CALL TO ATC AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I FIGURED I WOULD HAVE TO GET HIGHER BEFORE THEY COULD HEAR ME. I CONTINUED MY CLB ON COURSE TOWARD FDK AND CONTINUED TRYING TO REACH ATC ON 128.7 TO NO AVAIL. I THEN NOTICED THAT READOUTS ON BOTH RADIOS WERE ALTERNATING BETWEEN DIM AND BRIGHT. SINCE THIS ACFT HAS A 12 VOLT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; BUT HAS 28 VOLT RADIOS POWERED BY A SEPARATE POWER SUPPLY; I BEGAN TO THINK THE PWR SUPPLY HAD GONE BELLY-UP. I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT ATC VIA A HAND HELD RADIO; BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO; PROBABLY DUE TO HAND HELD'S RELATIVELY LOW PWR. AT THIS TIME; I REALIZED I HAD SUFFERED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AFTER NOTICING THAT BOTH FUEL GAUGES WERE PEGGED ON EMPTY AND NOTHING THAT WAS ELECTRICALLY PWRED WORKED. SINCE I WAS NOW OUTSIDE THE ADIZ; I RESUMED MY PLANNED COURSE WHICH WAS GAI - BURGY INTXN HGR. I SELECTED THIS COURSE TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ENLARGED P40 AIRSPACE. I WAS EXPECTING TO BE INTERCEPTED AT ANY MOMENT; BUT NEVER SAW ANY OTHER ACFT DURING THE FLT. UPON REACHING THE AREA NEAR HGR; I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO REACH THE HGR TWR VIA MY HAND HELD WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 MILES OUT. I EXPLAINED MY SIT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. AFTER PARKING AT THE MAINT FACILITY THAT WOULD BE PERFORMING THE ANNUAL; I CALLED THE HGR TWR AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD OCCURRED IN DETAIL. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW-UP OR CHK ON ME. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE IN THIS SIT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN A WEEK PRIOR WITH NO PROB AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB UNTIL IT OCCURRED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.