Small aircraft becomes NORDO aircraft when electrical system fails.

Attributes
ACN	240189
Time
Date	199304
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdm
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sdm artcc : zdv
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 360 flight time type : 260
ASRS Report	240189
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft was to be moved from sdm to see for state disaster relief exercise. Upon preflight, battery was discovered dead. Battery was recharged for about 30 mins. Aircraft started with slight ammeter charge showing. Maintenance advised battery would be charged sufficiently upon arrival at see (about 30 mins from engine start). Upon check-in with see tower, radio very faint. Received clearance to land. Flaps would not deploy. Advised see tower of loss of electrical and return to sdm. Received very faint acknowledgement. Returned to sdm with no electrical. Entered air traffic area rocking wings. Flew pattern at 500 ft. Received light signals and landed. Relatively busy saturday -- several aircraft in closed traffic. Tower cleared everyone out very efficiently. Upon teardown, maintenance discovered alternator barely trickling power -- insufficient to charge battery. Desire to get to exercise got in way of good sense. Next time faced with dead battery, will not takeoff without complete check of aircraft charging system. If the battery is dead, there's a reason.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA BECOMES NORDO ACFT WHEN ELECTRICAL SYS FAILS.

Narrative: ACFT WAS TO BE MOVED FROM SDM TO SEE FOR STATE DISASTER RELIEF EXERCISE. UPON PREFLT, BATTERY WAS DISCOVERED DEAD. BATTERY WAS RECHARGED FOR ABOUT 30 MINS. ACFT STARTED WITH SLIGHT AMMETER CHARGE SHOWING. MAINT ADVISED BATTERY WOULD BE CHARGED SUFFICIENTLY UPON ARR AT SEE (ABOUT 30 MINS FROM ENG START). UPON CHK-IN WITH SEE TWR, RADIO VERY FAINT. RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND. FLAPS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. ADVISED SEE TWR OF LOSS OF ELECTRICAL AND RETURN TO SDM. RECEIVED VERY FAINT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. RETURNED TO SDM WITH NO ELECTRICAL. ENTERED ATA ROCKING WINGS. FLEW PATTERN AT 500 FT. RECEIVED LIGHT SIGNALS AND LANDED. RELATIVELY BUSY SATURDAY -- SEVERAL ACFT IN CLOSED TFC. TWR CLRED EVERYONE OUT VERY EFFICIENTLY. UPON TEARDOWN, MAINT DISCOVERED ALTERNATOR BARELY TRICKLING PWR -- INSUFFICIENT TO CHARGE BATTERY. DESIRE TO GET TO EXERCISE GOT IN WAY OF GOOD SENSE. NEXT TIME FACED WITH DEAD BATTERY, WILL NOT TKOF WITHOUT COMPLETE CHK OF ACFT CHARGING SYS. IF THE BATTERY IS DEAD, THERE'S A REASON.

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.