Narrative:

My student is working for the INS rating. This was my student't IFR 250 NM x-country. The first leg was addison to mineral wells, tx for the VOR approach. The second leg was mineral wells to abilene, tx for the ILS approach. Although abilene, tx was forecasting clear conditions, mineral wells was reporting IFR ceilings and visibilities. I noted my student had failed to file an alternate for mineral wells. We decided to declare abilene as the alternate airborne with ATC. We departed addison, tx with low IFR ceilings and visibilities, and by reaching 3000' MSL flight conditions were VMC and clear. Approximately 10 mins after takeoff I advised regional departure to show abilene as our alternate. They requested I advise the next controller of this choice. 20 mins after takeoff we experienced the alternator failure. I accomplished lost communication procedures, but simply proceeded westbound on our last assigned heading, as all navigation receivers were inoperative. Approximately 1 hour after alternator failure we encountered clear conditions to the surface and landed at the nearest airport. Just prior to landing I switched on the master one last time and was able to contact ZFW. Explained our situation and cancelled IFR. After landing I phoned ftw FSS to confirm our IFR cancellation. Lessons I learned: 1) do not rely solely on inexperienced students for thorough WX briefing information when operations will be in IMC. 2) do not takeoff unless proper IFR filing procedures are completed on the ground. My primary concern: we never would have made it into mineral wells due to low ceilings, and at takeoff we had no alternate on file. I believe my in-flight alternate declaration to departure control and complete loss of electrical power permits me to escape reprimand this time; however, I should know better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORT MIXES CONCERN OVER NO ALTERNATE ARPT FILED FOR IFR FLT PLUS LOSS OF PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY.

Narrative: MY STUDENT IS WORKING FOR THE INS RATING. THIS WAS MY STUDENT'T IFR 250 NM X-COUNTRY. THE FIRST LEG WAS ADDISON TO MINERAL WELLS, TX FOR THE VOR APCH. THE SECOND LEG WAS MINERAL WELLS TO ABILENE, TX FOR THE ILS APCH. ALTHOUGH ABILENE, TX WAS FORECASTING CLR CONDITIONS, MINERAL WELLS WAS RPTING IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES. I NOTED MY STUDENT HAD FAILED TO FILE AN ALTERNATE FOR MINERAL WELLS. WE DECIDED TO DECLARE ABILENE AS THE ALTERNATE AIRBORNE WITH ATC. WE DEPARTED ADDISON, TX WITH LOW IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES, AND BY REACHING 3000' MSL FLT CONDITIONS WERE VMC AND CLR. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER TKOF I ADVISED REGIONAL DEP TO SHOW ABILENE AS OUR ALTERNATE. THEY REQUESTED I ADVISE THE NEXT CTLR OF THIS CHOICE. 20 MINS AFTER TKOF WE EXPERIENCED THE ALTERNATOR FAILURE. I ACCOMPLISHED LOST COM PROCS, BUT SIMPLY PROCEEDED WBND ON OUR LAST ASSIGNED HDG, AS ALL NAV RECEIVERS WERE INOP. APPROX 1 HR AFTER ALTERNATOR FAILURE WE ENCOUNTERED CLR CONDITIONS TO THE SURFACE AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST ARPT. JUST PRIOR TO LNDG I SWITCHED ON THE MASTER ONE LAST TIME AND WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ZFW. EXPLAINED OUR SITUATION AND CANCELLED IFR. AFTER LNDG I PHONED FTW FSS TO CONFIRM OUR IFR CANCELLATION. LESSONS I LEARNED: 1) DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON INEXPERIENCED STUDENTS FOR THOROUGH WX BRIEFING INFO WHEN OPS WILL BE IN IMC. 2) DO NOT TKOF UNLESS PROPER IFR FILING PROCS ARE COMPLETED ON THE GND. MY PRIMARY CONCERN: WE NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT INTO MINERAL WELLS DUE TO LOW CEILINGS, AND AT TKOF WE HAD NO ALTERNATE ON FILE. I BELIEVE MY INFLT ALTERNATE DECLARATION TO DEP CTL AND COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR PERMITS ME TO ESCAPE REPRIMAND THIS TIME; HOWEVER, I SHOULD KNOW BETTER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.