Narrative:

I was flying a training flight with a student who currently has around 5 hours of total flight time when our electrical system failed. During the course of the flight we did the recommended entry into a non-twred traffic pattern. Unicom came on frequency and stated that we would be advised to exercise caution due to the runway having patches of ice. After showing my student the non-twred environment we departed the pattern to the east over the lake at which point I had him determine our location by using cross radials from VOR's. It was shortly after we finished this exercise and turned to a heading that would take us back to our home-field ZZZ1; that we lost all the electrical equipment in the cockpit. I gave my student control of the aircraft and then began to troubleshoot the system. After recycling the power system; I then instructed my student to fly us to the northwest side of the lake where we would be outside of ZZZ2 airport's mode C veil. Upon doing so; I troubleshot the system further. I recycled the circuit breakers; turned off all electrical equipment except for the alternator and began to search for a suitable airport for landing. Not entirely wishing to enter under the mode C veil again without a transponder and not wanting to land after unicom had (thankfully) advised us of the surface conditions; I began to consider landing at ZZZ3; which is also a class D airport; and had even thought about trying for ZZZ1. In a last ditch effort; I flipped on the battery and avionics switch one final time to be rewarded with a working system. Within a min; however; it failed again. Luckily; I had my cellular phone on me that day as well. Although my reception was horrible; I was able to send a text message to a co-worker informing him of my intentions to try for ZZZ1 and telling him to contact the tower and advise them of our situation. After circling for a few more mins; I instructed my student to head towards ZZZ1; entered 7600 into our transponder; turned on the radios; and made a transmission stating that we were experiencing an electrical problem over the lake and we were inbound to land on runway xx and that we would exercise caution. At that point; tower was aware of our situation and cleared us to land on runway xx while we were still about 25-30 mi out and that we should acknowledge receipt of the transmission by clicking the microphone twice. After complying; I turned off the radios to conserve energy and made sporadic calls as we drew closer. Not being able to receive an ATIS; we were surprised to find that the clouds had begun to drop from the 6000 ft ceilings we left the airport with to a few clouds at about 2000 ft MSL. The visibility had also dropped from 10 mi to around 6 or 7. Not wanting to have to go around or delay/endanger operations at ZZZ1; I took the controls from my student 5 mi out and remained in control until we had landed and were clear of the runway. No light gun signals had been used during the approach since we were able to communicate within 2 mi of the airport. Once we landed and cleared the active runway; we sat and watched the tower waiting for any signals. After a min or so; not having seen any signals; we proceeded to taxi to our hangar using a common and well known route for all students and instructors of the flight school. The nice thing about landing back at ZZZ1; was that the unique traffic situation is known to both my student and myself very well. The ZZZ2's airspace forms a sort of a funnel around ZZZ1 which forces most; if not all of its traffic; to approach from the north. With a shelf of airspace directly touching the top of ZZZ1's; not to mention the clouds; it would have been impossible/dangerous to attempt to watch the flow of traffic from either outside or above. If nothing else it was at least a valuable learning scenario for my student and myself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE23 TRAINING FLT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. CELL PHONE WAS UTILIZED TO COORDINATE ARR AND LNDG AT HOME ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT WHO CURRENTLY HAS AROUND 5 HRS OF TOTAL FLT TIME WHEN OUR ELECTRICAL SYS FAILED. DURING THE COURSE OF THE FLT WE DID THE RECOMMENDED ENTRY INTO A NON-TWRED TFC PATTERN. UNICOM CAME ON FREQ AND STATED THAT WE WOULD BE ADVISED TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RWY HAVING PATCHES OF ICE. AFTER SHOWING MY STUDENT THE NON-TWRED ENVIRONMENT WE DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO THE E OVER THE LAKE AT WHICH POINT I HAD HIM DETERMINE OUR LOCATION BY USING CROSS RADIALS FROM VOR'S. IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER WE FINISHED THIS EXERCISE AND TURNED TO A HDG THAT WOULD TAKE US BACK TO OUR HOME-FIELD ZZZ1; THAT WE LOST ALL THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP IN THE COCKPIT. I GAVE MY STUDENT CTL OF THE ACFT AND THEN BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT THE SYS. AFTER RECYCLING THE PWR SYS; I THEN INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO FLY US TO THE NW SIDE OF THE LAKE WHERE WE WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF ZZZ2 ARPT'S MODE C VEIL. UPON DOING SO; I TROUBLESHOT THE SYS FURTHER. I RECYCLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS; TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP EXCEPT FOR THE ALTERNATOR AND BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR A SUITABLE ARPT FOR LNDG. NOT ENTIRELY WISHING TO ENTER UNDER THE MODE C VEIL AGAIN WITHOUT A XPONDER AND NOT WANTING TO LAND AFTER UNICOM HAD (THANKFULLY) ADVISED US OF THE SURFACE CONDITIONS; I BEGAN TO CONSIDER LNDG AT ZZZ3; WHICH IS ALSO A CLASS D ARPT; AND HAD EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT TRYING FOR ZZZ1. IN A LAST DITCH EFFORT; I FLIPPED ON THE BATTERY AND AVIONICS SWITCH ONE FINAL TIME TO BE REWARDED WITH A WORKING SYS. WITHIN A MIN; HOWEVER; IT FAILED AGAIN. LUCKILY; I HAD MY CELLULAR PHONE ON ME THAT DAY AS WELL. ALTHOUGH MY RECEPTION WAS HORRIBLE; I WAS ABLE TO SEND A TEXT MESSAGE TO A CO-WORKER INFORMING HIM OF MY INTENTIONS TO TRY FOR ZZZ1 AND TELLING HIM TO CONTACT THE TWR AND ADVISE THEM OF OUR SIT. AFTER CIRCLING FOR A FEW MORE MINS; I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO HEAD TOWARDS ZZZ1; ENTERED 7600 INTO OUR XPONDER; TURNED ON THE RADIOS; AND MADE A XMISSION STATING THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING AN ELECTRICAL PROB OVER THE LAKE AND WE WERE INBOUND TO LAND ON RWY XX AND THAT WE WOULD EXERCISE CAUTION. AT THAT POINT; TWR WAS AWARE OF OUR SITUATION AND CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY XX WHILE WE WERE STILL ABOUT 25-30 MI OUT AND THAT WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THE XMISSION BY CLICKING THE MIKE TWICE. AFTER COMPLYING; I TURNED OFF THE RADIOS TO CONSERVE ENERGY AND MADE SPORADIC CALLS AS WE DREW CLOSER. NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE AN ATIS; WE WERE SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THE CLOUDS HAD BEGUN TO DROP FROM THE 6000 FT CEILINGS WE LEFT THE ARPT WITH TO A FEW CLOUDS AT ABOUT 2000 FT MSL. THE VISIBILITY HAD ALSO DROPPED FROM 10 MI TO AROUND 6 OR 7. NOT WANTING TO HAVE TO GO AROUND OR DELAY/ENDANGER OPS AT ZZZ1; I TOOK THE CTLS FROM MY STUDENT 5 MI OUT AND REMAINED IN CTL UNTIL WE HAD LANDED AND WERE CLR OF THE RWY. NO LIGHT GUN SIGNALS HAD BEEN USED DURING THE APCH SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITHIN 2 MI OF THE ARPT. ONCE WE LANDED AND CLRED THE ACTIVE RWY; WE SAT AND WATCHED THE TWR WAITING FOR ANY SIGNALS. AFTER A MIN OR SO; NOT HAVING SEEN ANY SIGNALS; WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO OUR HANGAR USING A COMMON AND WELL KNOWN RTE FOR ALL STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS OF THE FLT SCHOOL. THE NICE THING ABOUT LNDG BACK AT ZZZ1; WAS THAT THE UNIQUE TFC SITUATION IS KNOWN TO BOTH MY STUDENT AND MYSELF VERY WELL. THE ZZZ2'S AIRSPACE FORMS A SORT OF A FUNNEL AROUND ZZZ1 WHICH FORCES MOST; IF NOT ALL OF ITS TFC; TO APCH FROM THE N. WITH A SHELF OF AIRSPACE DIRECTLY TOUCHING THE TOP OF ZZZ1'S; NOT TO MENTION THE CLOUDS; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE/DANGEROUS TO ATTEMPT TO WATCH THE FLOW OF TFC FROM EITHER OUTSIDE OR ABOVE. IF NOTHING ELSE IT WAS AT LEAST A VALUABLE LEARNING SCENARIO FOR MY STUDENT AND MYSELF.

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.