Narrative:

Beginning 6TH and final leg of regular schedule. I contacted approach/departure controller to obtain IFR clearance to destination approximately 55 min away. Controller issued squawk and later reported no transponder was received. I checked system and found alternator inoperative. I notified controller of alternator failure and proceeded toward destination VFR. As I approached destination (TCA was ahead but airport was underneath and not primary airport of landing) I turned transponder to alternator, on 1200 so as not to fly in mode C veil without necessary requirements. I planned to use hand held transceiver for communication to save battery for landing gear and indicators. Now trouble started here. Local tower controller would not acknowledge my xmissions and I ended up circling! Finally I contacted ground control at the same tower to explain the nature of my problem and tell him to give tower a heads up. He copied loud and clear and I stated the fact that my alternator was inoperative and I was on reserve battery power. When I went back to tower, tower did call (first by wrong company name) but offered absolutely no assistance. By this time my battery was depleted to the point that had to manually extend gear and flaps were inoperative. It was dusk! Controllers final words were 'check navigation lights on!' boy, orlando tower thanks for nothing. Do I have to declare an emergency if my alternator fails en route to get acceptable service? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the problem had existed for some time. This particular controller seems to have a lack of understanding of what is going on in the aircraft environment. He seems to be deliberately unaccommodating. Analyst gave reporter hot line number to use. When reporter stated that other crews have had the same problem it was suggested that he consider requesting his management to confer with tower chief to see if changes could be made in controller professionalism. Analyst questioned why he did not squawk 7600 and just go in to land? He was using his handheld and felt that would do the job, it obviously did not. Wanted to conserve his battery power to extend gear and flaps, but did not get flaps anyway. Very frustrating. Since it was getting dark, controller seemed more interested in his navigation lights than helping him get down.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI FLT LOSES ALTERNATOR, BUT HAS HANDHELD ON BOARD. TWR CTLR DOES NOT RESPOND BUT GND HEARS LOUD AND CLEAR.

Narrative: BEGINNING 6TH AND FINAL LEG OF REGULAR SCHEDULE. I CONTACTED APCH/DEP CTLR TO OBTAIN IFR CLRNC TO DEST APPROX 55 MIN AWAY. CTLR ISSUED SQUAWK AND LATER RPTED NO XPONDER WAS RECEIVED. I CHKED SYS AND FOUND ALTERNATOR INOP. I NOTIFIED CTLR OF ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND PROCEEDED TOWARD DEST VFR. AS I APCHED DEST (TCA WAS AHEAD BUT ARPT WAS UNDERNEATH AND NOT PRIMARY ARPT OF LNDG) I TURNED XPONDER TO ALTERNATOR, ON 1200 SO AS NOT TO FLY IN MODE C VEIL WITHOUT NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS. I PLANNED TO USE HAND HELD TRANSCEIVER FOR COM TO SAVE BATTERY FOR LNDG GEAR AND INDICATORS. NOW TROUBLE STARTED HERE. LCL TWR CTLR WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY XMISSIONS AND I ENDED UP CIRCLING! FINALLY I CONTACTED GND CTL AT THE SAME TWR TO EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF MY PROB AND TELL HIM TO GIVE TWR A HEADS UP. HE COPIED LOUD AND CLR AND I STATED THE FACT THAT MY ALTERNATOR WAS INOP AND I WAS ON RESERVE BATTERY PWR. WHEN I WENT BACK TO TWR, TWR DID CALL (FIRST BY WRONG COMPANY NAME) BUT OFFERED ABSOLUTELY NO ASSISTANCE. BY THIS TIME MY BATTERY WAS DEPLETED TO THE POINT THAT HAD TO MANUALLY EXTEND GEAR AND FLAPS WERE INOP. IT WAS DUSK! CTLRS FINAL WORDS WERE 'CHK NAV LIGHTS ON!' BOY, ORLANDO TWR THANKS FOR NOTHING. DO I HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY IF MY ALTERNATOR FAILS ENRTE TO GET ACCEPTABLE SVC? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE PROB HAD EXISTED FOR SOME TIME. THIS PARTICULAR CTLR SEEMS TO HAVE A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE ACFT ENVIRONMENT. HE SEEMS TO BE DELIBERATELY UNACCOMMODATING. ANALYST GAVE RPTR HOT LINE NUMBER TO USE. WHEN RPTR STATED THAT OTHER CREWS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROB IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT HE CONSIDER REQUESTING HIS MGMNT TO CONFER WITH TWR CHIEF TO SEE IF CHANGES COULD BE MADE IN CTLR PROFESSIONALISM. ANALYST QUESTIONED WHY HE DID NOT SQUAWK 7600 AND JUST GO IN TO LAND? HE WAS USING HIS HANDHELD AND FELT THAT WOULD DO THE JOB, IT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT. WANTED TO CONSERVE HIS BATTERY PWR TO EXTEND GEAR AND FLAPS, BUT DID NOT GET FLAPS ANYWAY. VERY FRUSTRATING. SINCE IT WAS GETTING DARK, CTLR SEEMED MORE INTERESTED IN HIS NAV LIGHTS THAN HELPING HIM GET DOWN.

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.