Narrative:

I was working flight data in the clt tower along with another controller (who was working ground and local combined). We heard an unusual noise and noticed that 1/2 of the lights in the tower cabin attendant were off. After further investigation we found the air conditioner had failed, the light panels for the runway lights were off (we had the runway lights on and you could not adjust the intensity setting), electricity to the appliances was off and we then noticed the panel that indicates the power source to the base building showed a yellow light. We tried to turn on the engine generators but they never did come on due to our efforts. We called downstairs and talked to the controller in charge. We discussed the problem and I suggested he call mcc to report the outage. After a short period of time he was able to find the number and placed the call. Sometime later we received a call from the controller downstairs that we would lose power in 5 mins. When the batteries failed we lost everything in the tower except our 302 landline system. There were no lights in the tower (also no flashlights), no radar on the BRITE, no frequencys. (We did turn on the backup radio frequency but couldn't tell what frequency it was on since we had no light.) we called the airport management and told them of our situation. They advised us they were ready to open the ramp tower if we wanted it. We also had them check the runway and approach lights, which were working. Eventually, power was restored and everything started coming back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED PWR FAILURE TO THE TWR WITH OPS ON BATTERIES UNTIL THEY FAILED. ENG GENERATOR COULD NOT BE STARTED BY CTLRS. TWR WAS WITHOUT FLASHLIGHTS TO SEE AND TUNE BACKUP RADIO FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING FLT DATA IN THE CLT TWR ALONG WITH ANOTHER CTLR (WHO WAS WORKING GND AND LCL COMBINED). WE HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISE AND NOTICED THAT 1/2 OF THE LIGHTS IN THE TWR CAB WERE OFF. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE FOUND THE AIR CONDITIONER HAD FAILED, THE LIGHT PANELS FOR THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OFF (WE HAD THE RWY LIGHTS ON AND YOU COULD NOT ADJUST THE INTENSITY SETTING), ELECTRICITY TO THE APPLIANCES WAS OFF AND WE THEN NOTICED THE PANEL THAT INDICATES THE PWR SOURCE TO THE BASE BUILDING SHOWED A YELLOW LIGHT. WE TRIED TO TURN ON THE ENG GENERATORS BUT THEY NEVER DID COME ON DUE TO OUR EFFORTS. WE CALLED DOWNSTAIRS AND TALKED TO THE CTLR IN CHARGE. WE DISCUSSED THE PROB AND I SUGGESTED HE CALL MCC TO RPT THE OUTAGE. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME HE WAS ABLE TO FIND THE NUMBER AND PLACED THE CALL. SOMETIME LATER WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE CTLR DOWNSTAIRS THAT WE WOULD LOSE PWR IN 5 MINS. WHEN THE BATTERIES FAILED WE LOST EVERYTHING IN THE TWR EXCEPT OUR 302 LANDLINE SYS. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS IN THE TWR (ALSO NO FLASHLIGHTS), NO RADAR ON THE BRITE, NO FREQS. (WE DID TURN ON THE BACKUP RADIO FREQ BUT COULDN'T TELL WHAT FREQ IT WAS ON SINCE WE HAD NO LIGHT.) WE CALLED THE ARPT MGMNT AND TOLD THEM OF OUR SIT. THEY ADVISED US THEY WERE READY TO OPEN THE RAMP TWR IF WE WANTED IT. WE ALSO HAD THEM CHK THE RWY AND APCH LIGHTS, WHICH WERE WORKING. EVENTUALLY, PWR WAS RESTORED AND EVERYTHING STARTED COMING BACK.

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.