Narrative:

Encountered complete electrical failure at 500 ft MSL during climb in class 'D' airspace at teterboro. Circled the field for approximately 5 mins for light gun signals on northwest of the field. After 5 mins and extending landing gear manually, entered downwind leg for runway 06, due to having difficulty in keeping my student under control who was panicking and getting out of control. Executed standard traffic pattern operation and landed on runway O6 safely. I executed the landing, because it was becoming very difficult to fly the airplane, look at tower for light gun signals and keeping the student calm, who was banging on the instrument panel, yoke and other parts of the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: cause of electrical failure was unknown. Post flight maintenance inspection found nothing, but apparently the alternator dropped off the line after takeoff, which caused communication failure and electrical gear extension failure. Instructor pilot took control of aircraft, circled airport and set 7700 in transponder (though it would not work with electrical failure). Tower didn't observe the aircraft circling. Instructor pilot's student panicked and started hitting things in the cockpit as well as the instructor. Thus, a real emergency situation convinced the instructor to land as soon as possible, which he did without tower clearance (light). After aircraft taxied to ramp, the tower sent a messenger vehicle to find out their problem and have the instructor call the tower, which he did with no further problem. The student was so upset that he wouldn't talk to the instructor and left. A few days later, the student's uncle, who is an air carrier pilot, called the instructor to hear his side of the story.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ELECTRICAL FAILURE STUDENT PANIC AND CONFRONTATION.

Narrative: ENCOUNTERED COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT 500 FT MSL DURING CLB IN CLASS 'D' AIRSPACE AT TETERBORO. CIRCLED THE FIELD FOR APPROX 5 MINS FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS ON NW OF THE FIELD. AFTER 5 MINS AND EXTENDING LNDG GEAR MANUALLY, ENTERED DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 06, DUE TO HAVING DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING MY STUDENT UNDER CTL WHO WAS PANICKING AND GETTING OUT OF CTL. EXECUTED STANDARD TFC PATTERN OP AND LANDED ON RWY O6 SAFELY. I EXECUTED THE LNDG, BECAUSE IT WAS BECOMING VERY DIFFICULT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE, LOOK AT TWR FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS AND KEEPING THE STUDENT CALM, WHO WAS BANGING ON THE INST PANEL, YOKE AND OTHER PARTS OF THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAUSE OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. POST FLT MAINT INSPECTION FOUND NOTHING, BUT APPARENTLY THE ALTERNATOR DROPPED OFF THE LINE AFTER TKOF, WHICH CAUSED COM FAILURE AND ELECTRICAL GEAR EXTENSION FAILURE. INSTRUCTOR PLT TOOK CTL OF ACFT, CIRCLED ARPT AND SET 7700 IN XPONDER (THOUGH IT WOULD NOT WORK WITH ELECTRICAL FAILURE). TWR DIDN'T OBSERVE THE ACFT CIRCLING. INSTRUCTOR PLT'S STUDENT PANICKED AND STARTED HITTING THINGS IN THE COCKPIT AS WELL AS THE INSTRUCTOR. THUS, A REAL EMER SIT CONVINCED THE INSTRUCTOR TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WHICH HE DID WITHOUT TWR CLRNC (LIGHT). AFTER ACFT TAXIED TO RAMP, THE TWR SENT A MESSENGER VEHICLE TO FIND OUT THEIR PROB AND HAVE THE INSTRUCTOR CALL THE TWR, WHICH HE DID WITH NO FURTHER PROB. THE STUDENT WAS SO UPSET THAT HE WOULDN'T TALK TO THE INSTRUCTOR AND LEFT. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE STUDENT'S UNCLE, WHO IS AN ACR PLT, CALLED THE INSTRUCTOR TO HEAR HIS SIDE OF THE STORY.

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.