What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The occurence took place 10/4/14. The pilot performed a thorough preflight of my Cessna 182 around 9:30 am. He then contacted the tower at Tyler pounds field, took off, and was on VFR flight following with a squawk code on a trip to austin. All systems were functioning appropriately. After departure he was handed off and contacted longview approach control. Approx 20 minutes into the flight his wife, the only passenger, noted difficulty with her noise cancelling headset. Following this his panel mounted GPS unit failed followed immediately by the radio transmit function; however, he was able to hear radio transmissions. About this time the longview controller notified him to contact fort worth approach for further VFR flight following and he was able to hear, but not transmit to him. At that point he suspected some type of electrical failure and turned back toward Tyler pounds field. The controller immediately noted his change in course and asked him if he could hear his transmission and if so to ident which he did. He then asked if his intention was to return to Tyler and if so to ident which he did. He then gave him the longview approach cell number, but he was too high to make phone contact. He then contacted the tower and notified him that he was cleared to proceed back to and land at Tyler. As he neared Tyler he was able to contact Tyler Pound tower on a battery powered hand held radio unit, confirm I was cleared to land, and made an uneventful landing. After landing, I spoke with the tower and emergency personnel on the field and notified them that I was safe and that here was no emergency. He also contacted longview approach via cell phone and notified the controller that he had landed safely and thanked him. There was no damage to the aircraft or injuries. There was no interruption to flight traffic of which he was aware. The aircraft was found to have an alternator failure and was repaired. The weather was clear thoughout with unlimited visibilty and the return to Tyler was made when he was about 25 miles southwest of Tyler while at 4500 feet.
As the FAA filed it
THE OCCURENCE TOOK PLACE 10/4/14. THE PILOT PERFORMED A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT OF MY CESSNA 182 AROUND 9:30 AM. HE THEN CONTACTED THE TOWER AT TYLER POUNDS FIELD, TOOK OFF, AND WAS ON VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH A SQUAWK CODE ON A TRIP TO AUSTIN. ALL SYSTEMS WERE FUNCTIONING APPROPRIATELY. AFTER DEPARTURE HE WAS HANDED OFF AND CONTACTED LONGVIEW APPROACH CONTROL. APPROX 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT HIS WIFE, THE ONLY PASSENGER, NOTED DIFFICULTY WITH HER NOISE CANCELLING HEADSET. FOLLOWING THIS HIS PANEL MOUNTED GPS UNIT FAILED FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE RADIO TRANSMIT FUNCTION; HOWEVER, HE WAS ABLE TO HEAR RADIO TRANSMISSIONS. ABOUT THIS TIME THE LONGVIEW CONTROLLER NOTIFIED HIM TO CONTACT FORT WORTH APPROACH FOR FURTHER VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND HE WAS ABLE TO HEAR, BUT NOT TRANSMIT TO HIM. AT THAT POINT HE SUSPECTED SOME TYPE OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND TURNED BACK TOWARD TYLER POUNDS FIELD. THE CONTROLLER IMMEDIATELY NOTED HIS CHANGE IN COURSE AND ASKED HIM IF HE COULD HEAR HIS TRANSMISSION AND IF SO TO IDENT WHICH HE DID. HE THEN ASKED IF HIS INTENTION WAS TO RETURN TO TYLER AND IF SO TO IDENT WHICH HE DID. HE THEN GAVE HIM THE LONGVIEW APPROACH CELL NUMBER, BUT HE WAS TOO HIGH TO MAKE PHONE CONTACT. HE THEN CONTACTED THE TOWER AND NOTIFIED HIM THAT HE WAS CLEARED TO PROCEED BACK TO AND LAND AT TYLER. AS HE NEARED TYLER HE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT TYLER POUND TOWER ON A BATTERY POWERED HAND HELD RADIO UNIT, CONFIRM I WAS CLEARED TO LAND, AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. AFTER LANDING, I SPOKE WITH THE TOWER AND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ON THE FIELD AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT I WAS SAFE AND THAT HERE WAS NO EMERGENCY. HE ALSO CONTACTED LONGVIEW APPROACH VIA CELL PHONE AND NOTIFIED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE HAD LANDED SAFELY AND THANKED HIM. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR INJURIES. THERE WAS NO INTERRUPTION TO FLIGHT TRAFFIC OF WHICH HE WAS AWARE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND WAS REPAIRED. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR THOUGHOUT WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILTY AND THE RETURN TO TYLER WAS MADE WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TYLER WHILE AT 4500 FEET.