Narrative:

This was the first flight after the 100 hour inspection. This flight was a training flight in which we planned to shoot 3 approachs into ZZZ. After departure from runway 4 at ZZZ and adjusting the power for our climb we heard some irregular engine roughness and the cabin started to smell like paint. Because of these noises and smell; we decided to just fly an ILS back into ZZZ and have the problem looked into. Approach was giving us vectors to intercept the final approach course for the ILS into runway 4. After leveling off at 4000 ft on the assigned vector; the low voltage warning came on; and after troubleshooting the problem by following the checklists in the poh; we concluded that the alternator had failed. My instructor immediately notified approach of the situation and they continued vectoring. We followed the appropriate checklists and minimized our electrical load. We hadn't heard from approach for a min; and we were past the point where we expected to turn to intercept the localizer. We attempted multiple radio checks with approach; all of them failed. At this point we squawked 7600 for lost communications and turned to intercept the localizer. We then successfully contacted tower and continued the approach and safely landed under their control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DA20'S ALTERNATOR FAILED ON A FLT FOLLOWING A 100 HR INSPECTION. A DECISION TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT WAS MADE; FOLLOWED BY A SAFE LNDG.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT AFTER THE 100 HR INSPECTION. THIS FLT WAS A TRAINING FLT IN WHICH WE PLANNED TO SHOOT 3 APCHS INTO ZZZ. AFTER DEP FROM RWY 4 AT ZZZ AND ADJUSTING THE PWR FOR OUR CLB WE HEARD SOME IRREGULAR ENG ROUGHNESS AND THE CABIN STARTED TO SMELL LIKE PAINT. BECAUSE OF THESE NOISES AND SMELL; WE DECIDED TO JUST FLY AN ILS BACK INTO ZZZ AND HAVE THE PROB LOOKED INTO. APCH WAS GIVING US VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE ILS INTO RWY 4. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 4000 FT ON THE ASSIGNED VECTOR; THE LOW VOLTAGE WARNING CAME ON; AND AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB BY FOLLOWING THE CHKLISTS IN THE POH; WE CONCLUDED THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED. MY INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED APCH OF THE SITUATION AND THEY CONTINUED VECTORING. WE FOLLOWED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND MINIMIZED OUR ELECTRICAL LOAD. WE HADN'T HEARD FROM APCH FOR A MIN; AND WE WERE PAST THE POINT WHERE WE EXPECTED TO TURN TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. WE ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE RADIO CHKS WITH APCH; ALL OF THEM FAILED. AT THIS POINT WE SQUAWKED 7600 FOR LOST COMS AND TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. WE THEN SUCCESSFULLY CONTACTED TWR AND CONTINUED THE APCH AND SAFELY LANDED UNDER THEIR CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.