Narrative:

I arrived at the airplane at XA30 to preflight before a flight departure between XB00 and XB30, and found that the previous pilot (this is a club aircraft) had left the master switch on. I contacted the FBO who advised me that they had no capability to change the battery on the remote ramp where I was parked, but would give me a jump start when I was ready to depart. My passenger arrived at XC15, by which time it was totally dark. We met the FBO representative at the aircraft with the starter cart, and the airplane started easily. During taxi, I noticed that the ammeter light was on and showed a slight discharge, which I attributed to a combination of the low battery, low RPM's, and landing/navigation lights. I expected charging to improve at full RPM and once the landing light was off after takeoff. All other system were performing fine. About 5 mins after takeoff, I was climbing through 4000 ft on my assigned heading, when the lights and radios dimmed, flickered briefly, and died. I realized immediately what had happened and contacted ATC within approximately 1-2 mins of failure on my handheld xceiver, explaining the situation while I continued my climb on heading and requesting a return to the airport. They immediately gave me a vector for return. The return to the airport was relatively uneventful, concluding with a firm but safe landing on the less busy cross runway. The main challenge was using my red-tinted flashlight to read the instruments while holding the yoke in the same hand, leaving my right hand free to use the xceiver as necessary. Luckily, I was only 6 mi from the departure airport, so I was able to spot it immediately when I turned onto my initial assigned vector for landing. I have not received the report from maintenance, so I don't know for sure if any mechanical problem accentuated or caused the alternator's inability to compensate for the current drain. Our club's chief flight instructor is of the opinion that it just couldn't handle the load of the external lights and charge the battery as well. I personally wonder if the battery didn't get enough of a charge to make the alternator start charging correctly. This was my first flight with my new xceiver, and it earned every penny I spent for it! It turned what could have been a tense situation into 'no big deal.' I will consider it required equipment on all future night flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAD A GENERATOR FAILURE, AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT THE AIRPLANE AT XA30 TO PREFLT BEFORE A FLT DEP BTWN XB00 AND XB30, AND FOUND THAT THE PREVIOUS PLT (THIS IS A CLUB ACFT) HAD LEFT THE MASTER SWITCH ON. I CONTACTED THE FBO WHO ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD NO CAPABILITY TO CHANGE THE BATTERY ON THE REMOTE RAMP WHERE I WAS PARKED, BUT WOULD GIVE ME A JUMP START WHEN I WAS READY TO DEPART. MY PAX ARRIVED AT XC15, BY WHICH TIME IT WAS TOTALLY DARK. WE MET THE FBO REPRESENTATIVE AT THE ACFT WITH THE STARTER CART, AND THE AIRPLANE STARTED EASILY. DURING TAXI, I NOTICED THAT THE AMMETER LIGHT WAS ON AND SHOWED A SLIGHT DISCHARGE, WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO A COMBINATION OF THE LOW BATTERY, LOW RPM'S, AND LNDG/NAV LIGHTS. I EXPECTED CHARGING TO IMPROVE AT FULL RPM AND ONCE THE LNDG LIGHT WAS OFF AFTER TKOF. ALL OTHER SYS WERE PERFORMING FINE. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER TKOF, I WAS CLBING THROUGH 4000 FT ON MY ASSIGNED HDG, WHEN THE LIGHTS AND RADIOS DIMMED, FLICKERED BRIEFLY, AND DIED. I REALIZED IMMEDIATELY WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND CONTACTED ATC WITHIN APPROX 1-2 MINS OF FAILURE ON MY HANDHELD XCEIVER, EXPLAINING THE SIT WHILE I CONTINUED MY CLB ON HDG AND REQUESTING A RETURN TO THE ARPT. THEY IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME A VECTOR FOR RETURN. THE RETURN TO THE ARPT WAS RELATIVELY UNEVENTFUL, CONCLUDING WITH A FIRM BUT SAFE LNDG ON THE LESS BUSY CROSS RWY. THE MAIN CHALLENGE WAS USING MY RED-TINTED FLASHLIGHT TO READ THE INSTS WHILE HOLDING THE YOKE IN THE SAME HAND, LEAVING MY R HAND FREE TO USE THE XCEIVER AS NECESSARY. LUCKILY, I WAS ONLY 6 MI FROM THE DEP ARPT, SO I WAS ABLE TO SPOT IT IMMEDIATELY WHEN I TURNED ONTO MY INITIAL ASSIGNED VECTOR FOR LNDG. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE RPT FROM MAINT, SO I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF ANY MECHANICAL PROB ACCENTUATED OR CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR'S INABILITY TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CURRENT DRAIN. OUR CLUB'S CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR IS OF THE OPINION THAT IT JUST COULDN'T HANDLE THE LOAD OF THE EXTERNAL LIGHTS AND CHARGE THE BATTERY AS WELL. I PERSONALLY WONDER IF THE BATTERY DIDN'T GET ENOUGH OF A CHARGE TO MAKE THE ALTERNATOR START CHARGING CORRECTLY. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT WITH MY NEW XCEIVER, AND IT EARNED EVERY PENNY I SPENT FOR IT! IT TURNED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A TENSE SIT INTO 'NO BIG DEAL.' I WILL CONSIDER IT REQUIRED EQUIP ON ALL FUTURE NIGHT FLTS.

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.