What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After picking up the aircraft from a shop where maintenance had been performed on his aircraft, privacy data omitted departed newton, KS (ewk) on an IFR flight to montgomery co airpark (gai) near silver spring,MD. Prior to his departure, he failed to notice on his preflight that the alternator field switches had been turned off. Disregarding the illuminated alternator inoperative lights and gauge indications, he departed and eventually depleted the battery while enroute. With the autopilot and radios beginning to fail due to power depletion, he received vectors from zkc ARTCC toward Kansas city, MO. Then toward columbia, MO. When he sighted Whiteman Afb, MO. (Szl) and proceeded visually to szl and landed, with radios no longer available (NORDO), without further incident. Incident ICE052009015 is closed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER PICKING UP THE AIRCRAFT FROM A SHOP WHERE MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON HIS AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED NEWTON, KS (EWK) ON AN IFR FLIGHT TO MONTGOMERY CO AIRPARK (GAI) NEAR SILVER SPRING,MD. PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE, HE FAILED TO NOTICE ON HIS PREFLIGHT THAT THE ALTERNATOR FIELD SWITCHES HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. DISREGARDING THE ILLUMINATED ALTERNATOR INOPERATIVE LIGHTS AND GAUGE INDICATIONS, HE DEPARTED AND EVENTUALLY DEPLETED THE BATTERY WHILE ENROUTE. WITH THE AUTOPILOT AND RADIOS BEGINNING TO FAIL DUE TO POWER DEPLETION, HE RECEIVED VECTORS FROM ZKC ARTCC TOWARD KANSAS CITY, MO. THEN TOWARD COLUMBIA, MO. WHEN HE SIGHTED WHITEMAN AFB, MO. (SZL) AND PROCEEDED VISUALLY TO SZL AND LANDED, WITH RADIOS NO LONGER AVAILABLE (NORDO), WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. INCIDENT ICE052009015 IS CLOSED.