Reporter loses electrical system.

Attributes
ACN	314936
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewb
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 2500 agl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewb
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 2006
ASRS Report	314936
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I took off from ewb in a cessna cutlass 172RG. I took off from runway 14R for my destination of mvy. On board was full tanks and 3 passenger. At about 1000 ft I proceeded over the town of dartmouth, which is about 10 mi to the southwest of the airport. About 5 mins into the flight my instrument panel lights began to flicker and dim. I looked at my ammeter and noticed a battery discharge rate. At this time I aborted the flight and flew back towards the airport which was still in sight by minimal sunlight. As I headed towards the airport I proceeded to check my equipment which was used by electricity. First my radios appeared dead. I tried to reach ewb tower to alert them about my situation and received no response. I then tested my flaps which also had no response. I then tried to lower my landing gear but at the first attempt I had partial dropping of the gears. I then raised them again and decided to recycle the masters. I shut down all equipment that was not necessary and then shut down the masters for about 1 min and turned them on again, but to no avail. I then proceeded to lower my landing gear again, at the same time pumping the manual override. I looked out the window and found that I had landing gear on my side, and a passenger looked found landing gear on their side, but because of the lack of an identify light for the nose gear, I was not sure about it. As I entered the downwind pattern of runway 23 I rocked my wings to signal to the tower my problems. There was no response and the runway lights were off. Upon proceeding downwind I continued to try and reach the tower on the radio, and also called my patterns just in case someone could hear me. As I turned on the final for runway 23 the runway was barely visible and I followed the VASI lights in for a landing. This is the reason I picked runway 23 because of its VASI system, whereas runway 14R did not have one. After landing I taxied back to my FBO and shut down the plane. I was told that the tower wanted to speak with me, I then proceeded to explain what happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR LOSES ELECTRICAL SYS.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM EWB IN A CESSNA CUTLASS 172RG. I TOOK OFF FROM RWY 14R FOR MY DEST OF MVY. ON BOARD WAS FULL TANKS AND 3 PAX. AT ABOUT 1000 FT I PROCEEDED OVER THE TOWN OF DARTMOUTH, WHICH IS ABOUT 10 MI TO THE SW OF THE ARPT. ABOUT 5 MINS INTO THE FLT MY INST PANEL LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER AND DIM. I LOOKED AT MY AMMETER AND NOTICED A BATTERY DISCHARGE RATE. AT THIS TIME I ABORTED THE FLT AND FLEW BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT WHICH WAS STILL IN SIGHT BY MINIMAL SUNLIGHT. AS I HEADED TOWARDS THE ARPT I PROCEEDED TO CHK MY EQUIP WHICH WAS USED BY ELECTRICITY. FIRST MY RADIOS APPEARED DEAD. I TRIED TO REACH EWB TWR TO ALERT THEM ABOUT MY SIT AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I THEN TESTED MY FLAPS WHICH ALSO HAD NO RESPONSE. I THEN TRIED TO LOWER MY LNDG GEAR BUT AT THE FIRST ATTEMPT I HAD PARTIAL DROPPING OF THE GEARS. I THEN RAISED THEM AGAIN AND DECIDED TO RECYCLE THE MASTERS. I SHUT DOWN ALL EQUIP THAT WAS NOT NECESSARY AND THEN SHUT DOWN THE MASTERS FOR ABOUT 1 MIN AND TURNED THEM ON AGAIN, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I THEN PROCEEDED TO LOWER MY LNDG GEAR AGAIN, AT THE SAME TIME PUMPING THE MANUAL OVERRIDE. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND FOUND THAT I HAD LNDG GEAR ON MY SIDE, AND A PAX LOOKED FOUND LNDG GEAR ON THEIR SIDE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF AN IDENT LIGHT FOR THE NOSE GEAR, I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT IT. AS I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND PATTERN OF RWY 23 I ROCKED MY WINGS TO SIGNAL TO THE TWR MY PROBS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OFF. UPON PROCEEDING DOWNWIND I CONTINUED TO TRY AND REACH THE TWR ON THE RADIO, AND ALSO CALLED MY PATTERNS JUST IN CASE SOMEONE COULD HEAR ME. AS I TURNED ON THE FINAL FOR RWY 23 THE RWY WAS BARELY VISIBLE AND I FOLLOWED THE VASI LIGHTS IN FOR A LNDG. THIS IS THE REASON I PICKED RWY 23 BECAUSE OF ITS VASI SYS, WHEREAS RWY 14R DID NOT HAVE ONE. AFTER LNDG I TAXIED BACK TO MY FBO AND SHUT DOWN THE PLANE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TWR WANTED TO SPEAK WITH ME, I THEN PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED.

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.