Narrative:

I was conducting an instrument competency check with a student. My student and I were on an instrument flight plan from tamiami airport in miami to palm beach international. We had planned on shooting the VOR runway 15 approach at palm beach county airport, going missed and then shooting full approach at pbi with a full stop. During the en route phase of the flight, the ammeter was indicating a discharge. I then recycled the master switch to bring the alternator back on line. Approximately 5-10 mins later, the problem recurred. I then recycled the master switch a second time. Just before being cleared for the VOR runway 15 approach at lna the problem occurred a third time, prompting us to make a full stop landing at lna to investigate the problem. I then minimized the electrical load by turning off the landing light as well as the strobes during the approach. After landing we began to taxi toward the main ramp. We then noticed a west palm beach sheriff's officer with his lights on ahead of us and off to the left approximately 3-400 ft. As we approached him, they jumped out of their patrol car waving a large gun and yelling to get out of the aircraft. Within 20 mins, we were surrounded by 14 police officers, 10 patrol cars, and a helicopter as they questioned us about drug smuggling because we came in with minimal lighting. I feel to prevent future problems similar to this, local police forces located in areas where drug smuggling is common should train their officers on airport operations.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT HAS ALTERNATOR PROB ON APCH, TURNS OFF STROBES AND LNDG LIGHT ON APCH.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING AN INST COMPETENCY CHK WITH A STUDENT. MY STUDENT AND I WERE ON AN INST FLT PLAN FROM TAMIAMI ARPT IN MIAMI TO PALM BEACH INTL. WE HAD PLANNED ON SHOOTING THE VOR RWY 15 APCH AT PALM BEACH COUNTY ARPT, GOING MISSED AND THEN SHOOTING FULL APCH AT PBI WITH A FULL STOP. DURING THE ENRTE PHASE OF THE FLT, THE AMMETER WAS INDICATING A DISCHARGE. I THEN RECYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH TO BRING THE ALTERNATOR BACK ON LINE. APPROX 5-10 MINS LATER, THE PROB RECURRED. I THEN RECYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH A SECOND TIME. JUST BEFORE BEING CLRED FOR THE VOR RWY 15 APCH AT LNA THE PROB OCCURRED A THIRD TIME, PROMPTING US TO MAKE A FULL STOP LNDG AT LNA TO INVESTIGATE THE PROB. I THEN MINIMIZED THE ELECTRICAL LOAD BY TURNING OFF THE LNDG LIGHT AS WELL AS THE STROBES DURING THE APCH. AFTER LNDG WE BEGAN TO TAXI TOWARD THE MAIN RAMP. WE THEN NOTICED A W PALM BEACH SHERIFF'S OFFICER WITH HIS LIGHTS ON AHEAD OF US AND OFF TO THE L APPROX 3-400 FT. AS WE APCHED HIM, THEY JUMPED OUT OF THEIR PATROL CAR WAVING A LARGE GUN AND YELLING TO GET OUT OF THE ACFT. WITHIN 20 MINS, WE WERE SURROUNDED BY 14 POLICE OFFICERS, 10 PATROL CARS, AND A HELI AS THEY QUESTIONED US ABOUT DRUG SMUGGLING BECAUSE WE CAME IN WITH MINIMAL LIGHTING. I FEEL TO PREVENT FUTURE PROBS SIMILAR TO THIS, LCL POLICE FORCES LOCATED IN AREAS WHERE DRUG SMUGGLING IS COMMON SHOULD TRAIN THEIR OFFICERS ON ARPT OPS.

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.