Narrative:

I was practicing intersection hold over L1 sound at the beltt intersection. Due to the hazy conditions at the time, I requested ny approach to keep my aircraft on radar surveillance. They obliged with a transponder code and subsequent target advisories. When the ammeter went to 0 charge I called ny approach. They did not respond although I could receive them clearly. Shutting down all excessive electric load I headed southwest to frg. Ny approach was now calling my aircraft number as they lost my radar return. I flew down runway 19 at 1600 ft AGL flashing a flash light at the tower. Turning to a right downwind to avoid the traffic that would be on the preferred left downwind. I could faintly hear the tower call our aircraft number runway 19 and wind information. I assumed this was a clearance to land on 19. It wasn't, they were calling in the blind hoping to help me. Surprisingly, I couldn't receive ATIS. Checking downwind and base I did not see any other aircraft. On short final I turned on the landing light. Although dim an alert tower controller, saw my light in time to send a small transport which had been on left downwind around. This would have been a nothing incident if I had my hand-held transceiver. It was left at home because this was a local flight. This will never happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI OF SMA TRAINING ACFT LOST RADIO COM DUE TO ACFT ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN NIGHT VFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING INTXN HOLD OVER L1 SOUND AT THE BELTT INTXN. DUE TO THE HAZY CONDITIONS AT THE TIME, I REQUESTED NY APCH TO KEEP MY ACFT ON RADAR SURVEILLANCE. THEY OBLIGED WITH A TRANSPONDER CODE AND SUBSEQUENT TARGET ADVISORIES. WHEN THE AMMETER WENT TO 0 CHARGE I CALLED NY APCH. THEY DID NOT RESPOND ALTHOUGH I COULD RECEIVE THEM CLRLY. SHUTTING DOWN ALL EXCESSIVE ELECTRIC LOAD I HEADED SW TO FRG. NY APCH WAS NOW CALLING MY ACFT NUMBER AS THEY LOST MY RADAR RETURN. I FLEW DOWN RWY 19 AT 1600 FT AGL FLASHING A FLASH LIGHT AT THE TWR. TURNING TO A R DOWNWIND TO AVOID THE TFC THAT WOULD BE ON THE PREFERRED L DOWNWIND. I COULD FAINTLY HEAR THE TWR CALL OUR ACFT NUMBER RWY 19 AND WIND INFO. I ASSUMED THIS WAS A CLRNC TO LAND ON 19. IT WASN'T, THEY WERE CALLING IN THE BLIND HOPING TO HELP ME. SURPRISINGLY, I COULDN'T RECEIVE ATIS. CHKING DOWNWIND AND BASE I DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER ACFT. ON SHORT FINAL I TURNED ON THE LNDG LIGHT. ALTHOUGH DIM AN ALERT TWR CTLR, SAW MY LIGHT IN TIME TO SEND A SMALL TRANSPORT WHICH HAD BEEN ON L DOWNWIND AROUND. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A NOTHING INCIDENT IF I HAD MY HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER. IT WAS LEFT AT HOME BECAUSE THIS WAS A LCL FLT. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.