Narrative:

After a 45 min flight to remain current in the type of aircraft and 3 lndgs one more right closed pattern was requested. After takeoff on climb out while retracting gear, the lights, navigation/communication went dim and eventually darkened. After several attempts to reach tower on the aircraft radios, I reached for my hand-held. While setting it up I made a left turn out for 360 degree turns over the bay away from the pattern at 800'. I had to hand pump the gear down and made contact with tower after a min or so. My nose gear was confirmed down through a low fly-by at 200' over the taxiway. I'm not clear whether my circling at 800' was the best thing to do. I asked ground after landing and they said 'as long as we can see you.' a flight instrument mentioned to climb to 2000'. Nevertheless, I feel though my being 'rusty' in emergency procedure did not help matters. Had I been proficient in dealing with a partial alternator failure I could have avoided to be west/O radios at all by turning the alternator off and drawing from the battery. Thereby I could have gotten instructions from tower on where to go. I will need to brush up on my emergency procedures. My final question, however, remains on what to do in a 'real', at worst in VMC on an approach (with no map), situation remain at altitude (pattern), climb to 2000', over the airport to one side of the pattern? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter seemed to be asking for answers. Counseled to remain near traffic pattern as tower aware of who he was and likely aware he was having problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA IN TRAFFIC PATTERN HAD ALTERNATOR FAILURE. USES HAND HELD, CONFIRMS GEAR DOWN.

Narrative: AFTER A 45 MIN FLT TO REMAIN CURRENT IN THE TYPE OF ACFT AND 3 LNDGS ONE MORE R CLOSED PATTERN WAS REQUESTED. AFTER TKOF ON CLBOUT WHILE RETRACTING GEAR, THE LIGHTS, NAV/COM WENT DIM AND EVENTUALLY DARKENED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH TWR ON THE ACFT RADIOS, I REACHED FOR MY HAND-HELD. WHILE SETTING IT UP I MADE A L TURN OUT FOR 360 DEG TURNS OVER THE BAY AWAY FROM THE PATTERN AT 800'. I HAD TO HAND PUMP THE GEAR DOWN AND MADE CONTACT WITH TWR AFTER A MIN OR SO. MY NOSE GEAR WAS CONFIRMED DOWN THROUGH A LOW FLY-BY AT 200' OVER THE TXWY. I'M NOT CLR WHETHER MY CIRCLING AT 800' WAS THE BEST THING TO DO. I ASKED GND AFTER LNDG AND THEY SAID 'AS LONG AS WE CAN SEE YOU.' A FLT INSTR MENTIONED TO CLB TO 2000'. NEVERTHELESS, I FEEL THOUGH MY BEING 'RUSTY' IN EMER PROC DID NOT HELP MATTERS. HAD I BEEN PROFICIENT IN DEALING WITH A PARTIAL ALTERNATOR FAILURE I COULD HAVE AVOIDED TO BE W/O RADIOS AT ALL BY TURNING THE ALTERNATOR OFF AND DRAWING FROM THE BATTERY. THEREBY I COULD HAVE GOTTEN INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR ON WHERE TO GO. I WILL NEED TO BRUSH UP ON MY EMER PROCS. MY FINAL QUESTION, HOWEVER, REMAINS ON WHAT TO DO IN A 'REAL', AT WORST IN VMC ON AN APCH (WITH NO MAP), SITUATION REMAIN AT ALT (PATTERN), CLB TO 2000', OVER THE ARPT TO ONE SIDE OF THE PATTERN? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SEEMED TO BE ASKING FOR ANSWERS. COUNSELED TO REMAIN NEAR TFC PATTERN AS TWR AWARE OF WHO HE WAS AND LIKELY AWARE HE WAS HAVING PROBS.

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.