Narrative:

I took 2 passenger from lakewood, nj N12 to kennedy int'l airport. I shut the aircraft down and discharged my passenger. I restarted the aircraft, turned the avionics on, contacted kennedy clearance delivery and advised delivery of my intentions. They instructed me to hold and gave me my VFR clearance with a transponder code to squawk. I held for approximately 25 min and I called them again. They apologized for making me hold as they had forgot about me. They then instructed me to contact ground control. Ground control instructed me to taxi to runway 13R and to hold short for an air carrier and then follow him out to runway 13R which I did. The air carrier departed. I did my pretkof runup and contacted the tower and told them I was ready for takeoff at which time I noticed the radios appeared to fade somewhat. At that same time I thought I faintly heard the tower give me my takeoff clearance at which time I taxied onto the runway and took off. After rotation I had complete avionics failure. I immediately squawked 7600 on the transponder, made a right turn at reaching 500' MSL to stay out of the way of any traffic and stayed at that low altitude to avoid any other conflict. I also continued my flight back to lakewood airport. En route to lakewood I investigated why I had the avionics failure and found the alternator circuit breaker tripped. I reset the circuit breaker but by this time I was almost to lakewood airport. I turned off all electrical to allow the battery to charge, as I realized I needed power to extend the landing gear. After a short period of time, I observed the ammeter start to come off the peg so I turned the avionics back on and landed safely at lakewood airport. Immediately after landing I went in to the FBO's office to call kennedy airport to explain the incident. As I walked in the door, kennedy was already calling. I attempted to explain to the gentleman who called but he could hardly speak english, which made the communication very difficult. So I really do not know what the outcome of this incident will be. The contributing factors to this incident are as follows: 1) the aircraft was one that I do not fly on a regular basis. The alternator circuit breaker is located behind the control yoke and is not clearly visible from the pilot's seat. 2) kennedy clearance forgot me on the ground for over 25 min after issuing my hold clearance. The long ground time completely drained the battery. 3) due to delays at kennedy int'l and not knowing the circuit breaker was tripped, I completely lost all electrical power. 4) after realizing the complete loss of power after takeoff, I initiated all emergency procedures to the best of my ability.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTS TCA ARPT WITH FAILING COM. CONTINUES TO DESTINATION WITH TOTAL LOSS OF COM.

Narrative: I TOOK 2 PAX FROM LAKEWOOD, NJ N12 TO KENNEDY INT'L ARPT. I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND DISCHARGED MY PAX. I RESTARTED THE ACFT, TURNED THE AVIONICS ON, CONTACTED KENNEDY CLRNC DELIVERY AND ADVISED DELIVERY OF MY INTENTIONS. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO HOLD AND GAVE ME MY VFR CLRNC WITH A XPONDER CODE TO SQUAWK. I HELD FOR APPROX 25 MIN AND I CALLED THEM AGAIN. THEY APOLOGIZED FOR MAKING ME HOLD AS THEY HAD FORGOT ABOUT ME. THEY THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT GND CTL. GND CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO RWY 13R AND TO HOLD SHORT FOR AN ACR AND THEN FOLLOW HIM OUT TO RWY 13R WHICH I DID. THE ACR DEPARTED. I DID MY PRETKOF RUNUP AND CONTACTED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS READY FOR TKOF AT WHICH TIME I NOTICED THE RADIOS APPEARED TO FADE SOMEWHAT. AT THAT SAME TIME I THOUGHT I FAINTLY HEARD THE TWR GIVE ME MY TKOF CLRNC AT WHICH TIME I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AND TOOK OFF. AFTER ROTATION I HAD COMPLETE AVIONICS FAILURE. I IMMEDIATELY SQUAWKED 7600 ON THE XPONDER, MADE A RIGHT TURN AT REACHING 500' MSL TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF ANY TFC AND STAYED AT THAT LOW ALT TO AVOID ANY OTHER CONFLICT. I ALSO CONTINUED MY FLT BACK TO LAKEWOOD ARPT. ENRTE TO LAKEWOOD I INVESTIGATED WHY I HAD THE AVIONICS FAILURE AND FOUND THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED. I RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER BUT BY THIS TIME I WAS ALMOST TO LAKEWOOD ARPT. I TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL TO ALLOW THE BATTERY TO CHARGE, AS I REALIZED I NEEDED POWER TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, I OBSERVED THE AMMETER START TO COME OFF THE PEG SO I TURNED THE AVIONICS BACK ON AND LANDED SAFELY AT LAKEWOOD ARPT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG I WENT IN TO THE FBO'S OFFICE TO CALL KENNEDY ARPT TO EXPLAIN THE INCIDENT. AS I WALKED IN THE DOOR, KENNEDY WAS ALREADY CALLING. I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN TO THE GENTLEMAN WHO CALLED BUT HE COULD HARDLY SPEAK ENGLISH, WHICH MADE THE COM VERY DIFFICULT. SO I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS INCIDENT WILL BE. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) THE ACFT WAS ONE THAT I DO NOT FLY ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER IS LOCATED BEHIND THE CONTROL YOKE AND IS NOT CLEARLY VISIBLE FROM THE PLT'S SEAT. 2) KENNEDY CLRNC FORGOT ME ON THE GND FOR OVER 25 MIN AFTER ISSUING MY HOLD CLRNC. THE LONG GND TIME COMPLETELY DRAINED THE BATTERY. 3) DUE TO DELAYS AT KENNEDY INT'L AND NOT KNOWING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS TRIPPED, I COMPLETELY LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. 4) AFTER REALIZING THE COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AFTER TKOF, I INITIATED ALL EMER PROCS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.

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.