C172 PLT EXPERIENCES COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE DEVIATING AROUND AN UNDERCAST. WHILE WITHOUT ELECTRONIC NAV CAPABILITY ENTERS R-3601 NEAR SLN.
Synopsis
C172 PLT EXPERIENCES COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE DEVIATING AROUND AN UNDERCAST. WHILE WITHOUT ELECTRONIC NAV CAPABILITY ENTERS R-3601 NEAR SLN.
Narrative
I WAS PLTING A VFR ONLY 1956 C172 ON A VACATION FLT FROM HILLCREST ARPT (PVT) IN FORT WORTH TO BEATRICE; NE (BIE). APPROX 30 MI S OF ICT WE ENCOUNTERED LOW LEVEL SCUD BELOW US. NOT WANTING TO FLY THIS ACFT 'ON TOP' I CONTACTED FSS AND WAS ADVISED THAT A DETOUR OF 50 MI TO THE W AND 100 MI OR LESS TO THE N WOULD AVOID THE LOW CEILING/VISIBILITY AREA. I DEVIATED AND THE WX WAS EXACTLY AS FORECAST. DURING THE CIRCUMNAV PART OF THE FLT WE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND BECAUSE OF THE SCATTERED CLOUDS BELOW US I WAS NOT ABLE TO PINPOINT MY POS EXACTLY ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. I EVENTUALLY GOT THE ELECTRICAL SYS BACK ON LINE AND REALIZED I WAS VERY NEAR SLN AND R-3601. I CONTACTED SLN TWR AND GAVE THEM MY APPROX POS SW OF SLN. HIS ONLY COMMENT WAS TO RPT ABEAM SLN. A SHORT TIME LATER; PROBABLY 3-4 MINS HE REQUESTED I MAKE A TURN TO 090 DEGS FOR THE RESTR AREA. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED; AND LESS THAN 2 MINS LATER HE ADVISED I COULD CONTINUE ON COURSE. 4 MINS OR SO FOLLOWING THAT; SLN REQUESTED THE PLT'S NAME; HOME BASE; AND PHONE NUMBER AND ADVISED I HAD FLOWN 3 MI INTO THE RESTR AREA. A PORTABLE MOVING MAP GPS WOULD EASILY HAVE AVOIDED THIS SIT. I HAD PLANNED THE RTE BEFORE HAND AND MADE SURE I WOULD NOT BE FLYING INTO ANY TFR'S OR MOA'S; HOWEVER I DID NOT PLAN FOR NOR EXPECT THE DEV. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE AREA FURTHER OUT FROM MY PLANNED COURSE TO PREPARE FOR ANY UNEXPECTED DEVS; THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME MORE TIME TO AVOID R-3601.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.