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A C152 student pilot, on his first solo cross country, experienced a total electrical failure in the tcl pattern and made an emergency landing while trying to gain the tower's attention, causing traffic pattern conflicts when trying to land opposite direction to the traffic flow.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 598512 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200310 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tcl.airport |
| State Reference | AL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : tcl.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 152 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level descent : approach landing : touch and go |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : tcl.tower |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 33.3 flight time total : 33.3 flight time type : 33.3 |
| ASRS Report | 598512 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : nmac inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Student pilot, on first solo cross country. I experienced total electrical failure and was unable to communicate or squawk 7600 due to complete battery failure. I flew around airport rocking wings, looking for light gun signal. When I noticed fuel gauges on zero, I decided to land on runway 4 at tcl. I tried to land, but was too fast because of a tailwind. I bounced, wind caught me, and I ballooned and went around and landed on runway 22 into the wind. The tower dispatched a fire truck to intercept me on taxiway and told me the tower wanted to talk to me. I parked on terminal side and the tower told the fire fighters to tell me to move aircraft to the FBO. The airplane was towed to the FBO. It was determined by a mechanic that I did have an electrical problem. He fixed problem. In the meantime, I talked to the tower chief and he agreed I had a problem, but he said I caused 3 near misses. I didn't think it was that close. I felt that the regulations support my action to land the aircraft when it had an airworthiness problem. The chief instructor and another pilot came to pick me up. The chief instructor flew the aircraft that had the problem back to my home airport.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C152 STUDENT PLT, ON HIS FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY, EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE TCL PATTERN AND MADE AN EMER LNDG WHILE TRYING TO GAIN THE TWR'S ATTN, CAUSING TFC PATTERN CONFLICTS WHEN TRYING TO LAND OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE TFC FLOW.
Narrative: STUDENT PLT, ON FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY. I EXPERIENCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE OR SQUAWK 7600 DUE TO COMPLETE BATTERY FAILURE. I FLEW AROUND ARPT ROCKING WINGS, LOOKING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNAL. WHEN I NOTICED FUEL GAUGES ON ZERO, I DECIDED TO LAND ON RWY 4 AT TCL. I TRIED TO LAND, BUT WAS TOO FAST BECAUSE OF A TAILWIND. I BOUNCED, WIND CAUGHT ME, AND I BALLOONED AND WENT AROUND AND LANDED ON RWY 22 INTO THE WIND. THE TWR DISPATCHED A FIRE TRUCK TO INTERCEPT ME ON TXWY AND TOLD ME THE TWR WANTED TO TALK TO ME. I PARKED ON TERMINAL SIDE AND THE TWR TOLD THE FIRE FIGHTERS TO TELL ME TO MOVE ACFT TO THE FBO. THE AIRPLANE WAS TOWED TO THE FBO. IT WAS DETERMINED BY A MECH THAT I DID HAVE AN ELECTRICAL PROB. HE FIXED PROB. IN THE MEANTIME, I TALKED TO THE TWR CHIEF AND HE AGREED I HAD A PROB, BUT HE SAID I CAUSED 3 NEAR MISSES. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THAT CLOSE. I FELT THAT THE REGS SUPPORT MY ACTION TO LAND THE ACFT WHEN IT HAD AN AIRWORTHINESS PROB. THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR AND ANOTHER PLT CAME TO PICK ME UP. THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR FLEW THE ACFT THAT HAD THE PROB BACK TO MY HOME ARPT.
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.