Event Summary
Approximately 12 minutes after departure, the pilot reported alternator or generator trouble and requested to return to the airport. He later indicated he was having radio problems. The pilot was vectored to intercept the ILS runway 20L approach course. The accident occurred about one mile west of the CHAMB outer marker. The pilot did not declare an emergency.
Radar and Instrument Findings
Stored radar information showed that the transponder was receiving until the first coast target. Disassembly of the gyro horizon and directional gyro revealed heavy rotational damage.
Weather Conditions
At the time of departure, the weather was reported as 300-foot overcast with 3 miles visibility in fog and haze. The pilot was not advised of the latest reported weather conditions.
Pilot Experience
The pilot noted only four instrument approaches in his logbook for 1982, all of which occurred on March 8, 1982, during an IFR recurrency training flight. The flight instructor later reported that he did not feel the pilot was sufficiently competent on that flight to be endorsed for an instrument competency check. The instructor described the pilot as rusty on instruments and having difficulty on the instrument approaches.