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Aircraft lost electric power. Radios and transponder lost. Aircraft made pass by tower and received green light to land.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 544113 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200204 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ffz.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : ffz.tower tower : ewn.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 544113 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Returning from northeast practice area, reported 7 mi out. At 5 mi, tower lost transponder and asked us to reset. After resetting transponder, we set up for 45 degree entry to left downwind runway 4L. About 3 mi out, I realized it was very quiet for a saturday morning training environment. After turning downwind, I elected to leave pattern back to practice area to troubleshoot radio problem. All communication/navs lost all audio and transmit capability. I assumed that our transponder was dead also because of the last transmission we heard from the tower. The ammeter was reading zero, even when switching to battery only. I assumed complete electrical failure and attempted to reset the alternator with no success. We re-entered downwind for runway 4L and unsure if the transponder was squawking, I elected to squawk 7700. Because of the brightness of the desert environment and reflections off of the tower cabin attendant, we could not verify a green light from the tower, so I circled the airport and re-entered downwind. Verified green cleared to land light at midfield and made uneventful landing. Tower rolled emergency equipment. The tug operator felt we should not have squawked 7700 for a communication failure since emergency equipment was dispatched and traffic held up unnecessarily.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT LOST ELECTRIC PWR. RADIOS AND XPONDER LOST. ACFT MADE PASS BY TWR AND RECEIVED GREEN LIGHT TO LAND.
Narrative: RETURNING FROM NE PRACTICE AREA, RPTED 7 MI OUT. AT 5 MI, TWR LOST XPONDER AND ASKED US TO RESET. AFTER RESETTING XPONDER, WE SET UP FOR 45 DEG ENTRY TO L DOWNWIND RWY 4L. ABOUT 3 MI OUT, I REALIZED IT WAS VERY QUIET FOR A SATURDAY MORNING TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. AFTER TURNING DOWNWIND, I ELECTED TO LEAVE PATTERN BACK TO PRACTICE AREA TO TROUBLESHOOT RADIO PROB. ALL COM/NAVS LOST ALL AUDIO AND XMIT CAPABILITY. I ASSUMED THAT OUR XPONDER WAS DEAD ALSO BECAUSE OF THE LAST XMISSION WE HEARD FROM THE TWR. THE AMMETER WAS READING ZERO, EVEN WHEN SWITCHING TO BATTERY ONLY. I ASSUMED COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE ALTERNATOR WITH NO SUCCESS. WE RE-ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4L AND UNSURE IF THE XPONDER WAS SQUAWKING, I ELECTED TO SQUAWK 7700. BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE DESERT ENVIRONMENT AND REFLECTIONS OFF OF THE TWR CAB, WE COULD NOT VERIFY A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR, SO I CIRCLED THE ARPT AND RE-ENTERED DOWNWIND. VERIFIED GREEN CLRED TO LAND LIGHT AT MIDFIELD AND MADE UNEVENTFUL LNDG. TWR ROLLED EMER EQUIP. THE TUG OPERATOR FELT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE SQUAWKED 7700 FOR A COM FAILURE SINCE EMER EQUIP WAS DISPATCHED AND TFC HELD UP UNNECESSARILY.
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.