Primary electrical power supply problem for student pilot on cross country flight.

Attributes
ACN	297513
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco tower : sfb
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 725 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	297513
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Student pilot was on second solo cross country. After completing first leg of flight from patrick AFB (cof) to daytona beach (dab), student was flying second leg from dab to lakeland (lal). Student was in radio contact and had received clearance to enter class B airspace from orlando approach. After entering class B, student recalled hearing strange whirring sounds coming from radio and smelled smoke or burned smell (there were many grass fires in the vicinity this day). Shortly thereafter, the orlando TRACON informed the student they had lost his transponder. Student was able to communication for several mins and then lost all electrical power. Due to smell of smoke and loss of communication and all other electrical, student decided to make emergency landing at the nearest airport which was central florida regional. He entered the pattern and later stated he saw no light gun signals from the tower. A normal landing was made and the aircraft was taxied to a nearby FBO for investigation of problem. Student made no attempt to contact the tower for explanation, nor was the orlando TRACON contacted. When asked many hours later why the student didn't try to contact the tower to let them know what had happened, the student said he just didn't think about it because of the emergency situation he felt he was in. I subsequently re-briefed the student on proper pattern entry and lost communication procedures, and stressed the importance of clueing the ATC facility after the incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIMARY ELECTRICAL PWR SUPPLY PROB FOR STUDENT PLT ON XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: STUDENT PLT WAS ON SECOND SOLO XCOUNTRY. AFTER COMPLETING FIRST LEG OF FLT FROM PATRICK AFB (COF) TO DAYTONA BEACH (DAB), STUDENT WAS FLYING SECOND LEG FROM DAB TO LAKELAND (LAL). STUDENT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT AND HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE FROM ORLANDO APCH. AFTER ENTERING CLASS B, STUDENT RECALLED HEARING STRANGE WHIRRING SOUNDS COMING FROM RADIO AND SMELLED SMOKE OR BURNED SMELL (THERE WERE MANY GRASS FIRES IN THE VICINITY THIS DAY). SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ORLANDO TRACON INFORMED THE STUDENT THEY HAD LOST HIS XPONDER. STUDENT WAS ABLE TO COM FOR SEVERAL MINS AND THEN LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. DUE TO SMELL OF SMOKE AND LOSS OF COM AND ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL, STUDENT DECIDED TO MAKE EMER LNDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT WHICH WAS CENTRAL FLORIDA REGIONAL. HE ENTERED THE PATTERN AND LATER STATED HE SAW NO LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AND THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO A NEARBY FBO FOR INVESTIGATION OF PROB. STUDENT MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR EXPLANATION, NOR WAS THE ORLANDO TRACON CONTACTED. WHEN ASKED MANY HRS LATER WHY THE STUDENT DIDN'T TRY TO CONTACT THE TWR TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THE STUDENT SAID HE JUST DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE EMER SIT HE FELT HE WAS IN. I SUBSEQUENTLY RE-BRIEFED THE STUDENT ON PROPER PATTERN ENTRY AND LOST COM PROCS, AND STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CLUEING THE ATC FACILITY AFTER THE INCIDENT.

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.