Narrative:

I was working the local control position and a cessna 182 departed IFR. Everything was going normal and I switched him to departure. After a short while departure called me on the shout line and wanted to know if I had shipped the aircraft already because I have a couple other aircraft awaiting IFR departure. I told them cessna 182 had been shipped. I'd say another 30 second to a minute went by and departure wanted to know if we could try reaching out to the aircraft because he was still not talking to departure. I tried on the local control position and I asked my ground control/FD to check as well with no luck. Departure then called again and asked if I could see the aircraft out the window because they had no communication and had also lost all radar contact. I advised I was able to see the plane and that he had frozen on the stars; but I was also going to lose him in the sun. A few moments had passed still working the traffic I had and advised aircraft to see if they were able to see cessna 182. Still searching for the plane and back and fourth with departure; there was suddenly a plane on the runway. The aircraft exits the runway and begins to taxi without talking to ground control. Ground control advises me that it's the plane we have been looking for cessna 182 and reaches out to the plane with no response. Ground control called airport operations to have the pilot call the tower immediately. Ground control talked to the pilot and he advised ground that he experienced complete electric failure and mistook out airport beacon for a light gun landing signal. Recommendation increased staffing so controller in charge is not combined with local control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Tower Controller providing OJT failed to observe an IFR aircraft return for landing after experiencing a complete electrical failure. The reporter listed sun restricted visibility as a causal factor.

Narrative: I was working the LC position and a Cessna 182 departed IFR. Everything was going normal and I switched him to Departure. After a short while Departure called me on the shout line and wanted to know if I had shipped the aircraft already because I have a couple other aircraft awaiting IFR departure. I told them Cessna 182 had been shipped. I'd say another 30 second to a minute went by and Departure wanted to know if we could try reaching out to the aircraft because he was still not talking to Departure. I tried on the LC position and I asked my GC/FD to check as well with no luck. Departure then called again and asked if I could see the aircraft out the window because they had no communication and had also lost all RADAR contact. I advised I was able to see the plane and that he had frozen on the STARS; but I was also going to lose him in the sun. A few moments had passed still working the traffic I had and advised aircraft to see if they were able to see Cessna 182. Still searching for the plane and back and fourth with Departure; there was suddenly a plane on the runway. The aircraft exits the runway and begins to taxi without talking to GC. GC advises me that it's the plane we have been looking for Cessna 182 and reaches out to the plane with no response. GC called airport operations to have the pilot call the Tower immediately. GC talked to the pilot and he advised ground that he experienced complete electric failure and mistook out airport beacon for a light gun landing signal. Recommendation increased staffing so CIC is not combined with LC.

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.