A C172 lost all electrical during night flight and after circling the destination airport from 2;500...

Attributes
ACN	1015485
Time
Date	201206
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	VFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Electrical Power
Person 1
Function	Instructor
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60 Flight Crew Total 1015 Flight Crew Type 700
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical

Narrative:

Immediately after entering class B airspace southbound at 1;500 ft; lost communications. Turned north and exited class B airspace and squawked VFR. Began a return trip to my destination and while doing so; trouble shot for lost communications. During this time; also lost all electrical - fuel quantity gauges; oil temperature gauge; radios; lights; flaps. [I] circled over my destination at 2;500 ft twice; no light gun from tower. Continued circle at 2;000 ft; no signals. [I] continued at 1;500 ft; observed no traffic; no signals. After 20 minutes of circling without notice from the tower; entered right pattern for the runway and performed a no flap landing. Called tower after landing and was told they did not notice me until short final.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 lost all electrical during night flight and after circling the destination airport from 2;500 FT down to 1;500 FT the pilot landed without ATC clearance.

Narrative: Immediately after entering Class B airspace southbound at 1;500 FT; lost communications. Turned north and exited Class B airspace and squawked VFR. Began a return trip to my destination and while doing so; trouble shot for lost communications. During this time; also lost all electrical - fuel quantity gauges; oil temperature gauge; radios; lights; flaps. [I] circled over my destination at 2;500 FT twice; no light gun from Tower. Continued circle at 2;000 FT; no signals. [I] continued at 1;500 FT; observed no traffic; no signals. After 20 minutes of circling without notice from the Tower; entered right pattern for the runway and performed a no flap landing. Called Tower after landing and was told they did not notice me until short final.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A C172 lost all electrical during night flight and after circling the destination airport from 2;500 ft down to 1;500 ft the pilot landed without ATC clearance.