GA small aircraft lost all electrical power on a training flight near bil.

Attributes
ACN	134039
Time
Date	199001
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bil
State Reference	MT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bil
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 110 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	134039
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On the eve of 1/thu/90, I experienced total electrical system failure approximately 20 NM from bil. Because of the fact that I could not have turned on the airport lighting at a nearby uncontrolled airport, and because I had no outside lighting on my aircraft, I ruled out the ideal choice of going to the uncontrolled airport and decided to go on to the billings TRSA and land with light signals. On arriving in billings I held just north of the air traffic area and waited for light signals, until I became concerned about my fuel situation. After holding for 4-5 patterns and not receiving signals from the tower, I observed the flow of traffic in the area and entered the pattern as I continued to watch for light signals from the tower. I followed an aircraft on long final for 27R and turned my base leg as the traffic passed off my right wing. As I turned final I looked behind me and observed another aircraft on final, and made a shallow right turn to parallel 27R and allow the traffic to land. I continued to parallel the runway and made a right 180 degree turn to start another downwind for 27R and attempt another landing. On this leg I received the first light signal from the tower--a flashing green--and continued in the pattern. On base leg I received a steady green and continued and made the landing. On getting back to the FBO, I called the tower and was informed that the pilot of an medium large transport reported a near miss as he was on final for 27R. From the information that I received from the tower, I believe that the aircraft I paralleled 27R for was the medium large transport which reported the near miss. This aircraft did not appear to me to be any closer than normal sequencing in the pattern. I was also informed by the tower that I was not picked up on radar at any point. Being picked up by radar was my last way of making contact with the tower, and there is no regulation that states what to do when you lose radios, transponder, lights and the tower does not pick up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER ON A TRAINING FLT NEAR BIL.

Narrative: ON THE EVE OF 1/THU/90, I EXPERIENCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE APPROX 20 NM FROM BIL. BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I COULD NOT HAVE TURNED ON THE ARPT LIGHTING AT A NEARBY UNCONTROLLED ARPT, AND BECAUSE I HAD NO OUTSIDE LIGHTING ON MY ACFT, I RULED OUT THE IDEAL CHOICE OF GOING TO THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT AND DECIDED TO GO ON TO THE BILLINGS TRSA AND LAND WITH LIGHT SIGNALS. ON ARRIVING IN BILLINGS I HELD JUST N OF THE ATA AND WAITED FOR LIGHT SIGNALS, UNTIL I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT MY FUEL SITUATION. AFTER HOLDING FOR 4-5 PATTERNS AND NOT RECEIVING SIGNALS FROM THE TWR, I OBSERVED THE FLOW OF TFC IN THE AREA AND ENTERED THE PATTERN AS I CONTINUED TO WATCH FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. I FOLLOWED AN ACFT ON LONG FINAL FOR 27R AND TURNED MY BASE LEG AS THE TFC PASSED OFF MY RIGHT WING. AS I TURNED FINAL I LOOKED BEHIND ME AND OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL, AND MADE A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN TO PARALLEL 27R AND ALLOW THE TFC TO LAND. I CONTINUED TO PARALLEL THE RWY AND MADE A RIGHT 180 DEG TURN TO START ANOTHER DOWNWIND FOR 27R AND ATTEMPT ANOTHER LNDG. ON THIS LEG I RECEIVED THE FIRST LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR--A FLASHING GREEN--AND CONTINUED IN THE PATTERN. ON BASE LEG I RECEIVED A STEADY GREEN AND CONTINUED AND MADE THE LNDG. ON GETTING BACK TO THE FBO, I CALLED THE TWR AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PLT OF AN MLG RPTED A NEAR MISS AS HE WAS ON FINAL FOR 27R. FROM THE INFO THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE TWR, I BELIEVE THAT THE ACFT I PARALLELED 27R FOR WAS THE MLG WHICH RPTED THE NEAR MISS. THIS ACFT DID NOT APPEAR TO ME TO BE ANY CLOSER THAN NORMAL SEQUENCING IN THE PATTERN. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY THE TWR THAT I WAS NOT PICKED UP ON RADAR AT ANY POINT. BEING PICKED UP BY RADAR WAS MY LAST WAY OF MAKING CONTACT WITH THE TWR, AND THERE IS NO REG THAT STATES WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU LOSE RADIOS, XPONDER, LIGHTS AND THE TWR DOES NOT PICK UP.

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.