Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10; Flight Crew Total 605; Flight Crew Type 605
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Maintenance Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Aircraft; Human Factors
Returning VFR into home airport ZZZ. Plane had been jump-started earlier in the day departing ZZZ; starting engine had been difficult even with jump; and had lost and rebooted avionics once while enroute from ZZZ but everything checked out on the ground before returning. Experienced repeated failure of avionics equipment. Performed repeated reboots. Forced to fly north of/under Class B while avoiding ZZZ1 using only old onboard Narco DME as the Garmin GMX200 blinked out multiple times en route; along with Garmin GNS 430 at one point; leaving me no situational awareness other than ground reference in the dark and the DME to maintain distance from ZZZ2. Upon arriving at X River; checked in with tower for VFR landing. Did not notify tower of avionics problems; as I had gotten system rebooted and it was online at the time. I was given transponder code; notified of radar contact; and given straight in for RWY XX. Was told there was a jet on final for RWY XY that would be landing ahead of me. Notified tower that I had the jet traffic in site and would slow my pace to the field. Stayed slightly high since I was slowing speed to the field. About two miles out the big screen went dark again. Took away my situational awareness as I was just left of the runway and still slightly high; and the disappearance of the big main screen was playing havoc with my vision. As I tried to reboot again; I asked for a go-around; and side stepped to the left of XX. Tower granted the go around; and asked how long I would need aloft. At that point I noticed that I also had a low voltage warning light glowing. Engine had been running somewhat loudly/roughly toward end of flight as I passed ZZZ2; had been flying with carb heat on; and the question of 'how long will you need on the go around' combined with the low voltage light and the night conditions led me to decision to try to put plane on the ground immediately. I observed empty taxiway Quebec; which runs the full length of RWY XX; with no traffic or obstructions and the fully-lighted centerline and other lights at the far end; past Taxiways Charlie and Golf; and asked the tower; 'can I put it on the ground? I want to just put it on the ground?' The tower replied yes; although I did not specifically declare an emergency. And although I did not say where I was setting the plane down; the tower saw where I was and kept Taxiway Quebec clear at the far end; where it runs out the full length of Runway XX; and I pulled the throttle and set the plane down at the far end of Taxiway Quebec with a very short landing roll and pulled into [a nearby FBO]. [My] mechanic wants to look at the carburetor and foam filter box for damage during [the] jump [start]; in addition to electrical system. In retrospect; my desire to avoid being a source of any trouble to the tower when I first made radio contact was a mistake. I should not have hesitated to tell tower upon initial radio contact at the X River that I was experiencing some difficulty with systems; and simply asked for vectors straight to the field for immediate landing. Desire to not cause any alarm led to my causing far greater alarm and an escalated situation when the system failures again dominoed on final.
The pilot of a C-182; after experiencing difficulty starting and utilizing a jump start to begin his days round trip; experienced multiple electrical and nav system malfunctions and failures during his night return to departure airport. Anxiety about going around with increasing failures triggered a decision to land on a taxiway.