Small aircraft lost electrical power and the engine became rough shortly after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	89340
Time
Date	198806
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lit
State Reference	AR
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lit
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 525 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	89340
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On climb out just after switching from the tower to departure control, I started to experience roughness in the engine and additionally started to lose electrical power. After a total loss of all electrical power and continued engine roughness, I turned back to the airport and entered the traffic pattern. I chose the closest runway 22, runway looked to the tower for light signals, saw none, observed an aircraft crossing the threshold looked around for other traffic and headed for the ground. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter had taken off from runway 18 and returned and landed on runway 22. Both were active, runway 22 was used by large aircraft. Aircraft was not damaged. The alternator had failed and there was a problem with the engine, the nature of which was unknown to the reporter. The tower was called on the phone after the fact and they asked if he had seen the light signals they were giving him. He had not. They were aware of his problem because they had noticed his mode C return disappear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LOST ELECTRICAL POWER AND THE ENGINE BECAME ROUGH SHORTLY AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT JUST AFTER SWITCHING FROM THE TWR TO DEP CTL, I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE ROUGHNESS IN THE ENG AND ADDITIONALLY STARTED TO LOSE ELECTRICAL PWR. AFTER A TOTAL LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL PWR AND CONTINUED ENG ROUGHNESS, I TURNED BACK TO THE ARPT AND ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN. I CHOSE THE CLOSEST RWY 22, RWY LOOKED TO THE TWR FOR LIGHT SIGNALS, SAW NONE, OBSERVED AN ACFT XING THE THRESHOLD LOOKED AROUND FOR OTHER TFC AND HEADED FOR THE GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAD TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 18 AND RETURNED AND LANDED ON RWY 22. BOTH WERE ACTIVE, RWY 22 WAS USED BY LARGE ACFT. ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED AND THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE ENG, THE NATURE OF WHICH WAS UNKNOWN TO THE RPTR. THE TWR WAS CALLED ON THE PHONE AFTER THE FACT AND THEY ASKED IF HE HAD SEEN THE LIGHT SIGNALS THEY WERE GIVING HIM. HE HAD NOT. THEY WERE AWARE OF HIS PROB BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTICED HIS MODE C RETURN DISAPPEAR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.