Narrative:

During en route climb in single engine single alternator aircraft in IMC my alternator failed. I contacted departure advising them of the failure and requested to return to efd (my departure point) which was the nearest airport with a high quality approach. They immediately cleared me to descend to 2000' which I began. During the next min or two I was busy attempting to determine the status of my problem and turn off all unnecessary equipment. Between the concern over my situation and the troubleshooting activities I did not keep a good scan and drifted off my heading. Upon discovering this I attempted to return to a normal heading but am not sure which heading I finally chose since I was proceeding direct to bpt at that point and was no longer sure of the direction exactly. I was not thinking real clearly at how to get there since that was not where I was going. As soon as I was given a vector from ATC I went to it and did fine from there. This type of failure should be in fir training curriculum. Knowing what to do (which I did) is not the same as actually doing it. I would have helped if approach would have said 'maintain current heading and descend and maintain 2000'' as this would cause me to look at the current heading. I come out of this considerably wiser as to handling emergency situations. Some type of training on composure would probably be helpful as part of pilot training at all levels. (Such as drill students in taking a deep breath or similar procedure then verifying correct flight of airplane, then stating problem). This would work for all problems except loss of control which does get drilled into students.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST ALTERNATOR DURING CLIMB IMC ON AN IFR TRAINING FLT TO KEEP CURRENT ON IFR PROC.

Narrative: DURING ENRTE CLB IN SINGLE ENG SINGLE ALTERNATOR ACFT IN IMC MY ALTERNATOR FAILED. I CONTACTED DEP ADVISING THEM OF THE FAILURE AND REQUESTED TO RETURN TO EFD (MY DEP POINT) WHICH WAS THE NEAREST ARPT WITH A HIGH QUALITY APCH. THEY IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME TO DSND TO 2000' WHICH I BEGAN. DURING THE NEXT MIN OR TWO I WAS BUSY ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF MY PROB AND TURN OFF ALL UNNECESSARY EQUIP. BTWN THE CONCERN OVER MY SITUATION AND THE TROUBLESHOOTING ACTIVITIES I DID NOT KEEP A GOOD SCAN AND DRIFTED OFF MY HDG. UPON DISCOVERING THIS I ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO A NORMAL HDG BUT AM NOT SURE WHICH HDG I FINALLY CHOSE SINCE I WAS PROCEEDING DIRECT TO BPT AT THAT POINT AND WAS NO LONGER SURE OF THE DIRECTION EXACTLY. I WAS NOT THINKING REAL CLRLY AT HOW TO GET THERE SINCE THAT WAS NOT WHERE I WAS GOING. AS SOON AS I WAS GIVEN A VECTOR FROM ATC I WENT TO IT AND DID FINE FROM THERE. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE SHOULD BE IN FIR TRNING CURRICULUM. KNOWING WHAT TO DO (WHICH I DID) IS NOT THE SAME AS ACTUALLY DOING IT. I WOULD HAVE HELPED IF APCH WOULD HAVE SAID 'MAINTAIN CURRENT HDG AND DSND AND MAINTAIN 2000'' AS THIS WOULD CAUSE ME TO LOOK AT THE CURRENT HDG. I COME OUT OF THIS CONSIDERABLY WISER AS TO HANDLING EMER SITUATIONS. SOME TYPE OF TRNING ON COMPOSURE WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL AS PART OF PLT TRNING AT ALL LEVELS. (SUCH AS DRILL STUDENTS IN TAKING A DEEP BREATH OR SIMILAR PROC THEN VERIFYING CORRECT FLT OF AIRPLANE, THEN STATING PROB). THIS WOULD WORK FOR ALL PROBS EXCEPT LOSS OF CTL WHICH DOES GET DRILLED INTO STUDENTS.

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.