C172 PLT HAS PROB AT FBO AFTER SOME REPAIR WORK. DISPUTE TAKES TIME AND DEPARTS AT DUSK AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT BATTERY IS 'LOW.' AT DEST ARPT RPTR IS INFORMED THAT LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. LANDS IN DARK WITH NO LNDG LIGHT.

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I WENT TO FBO AT CRP TO PICK UP MY PLANE AFTER COMPLETION OF AN INSPECTION (UNDER THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT FROM A DISTRICT COURT) WHICH FBO AGREED TO PREPARE PER COURT ORDERED PROTOCOL. THE PURPOSE WAS FOR A TEST FLT; THEN RUN THE ENG LONG ENOUGH TO THOROUGHLY HEAT ENG OIL; AND MOVE THE PLANE. A DISPUTE AROSE WITH FBO ABOUT AN UNAUTH REPAIR DURING THE INSPECTION AND A SMALL BILL FOR AN ENTIRELY SEPARATE ACFT. THE MGR WAS UPSET AND I HAD COMPLAINED TO FUEL PERSONNEL ABOUT ANOTHER MATTER. FBO WANTED TO BACK OUT OF THEIR AGREEMENT. RESOLUTION TOOK A LONG WHILE. IT WAS APCHING DARK. ONLY THEN DID FBO TELL ME MY BATTERY WAS 'DOWN.' IT WAS DEAD. I FOUND THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON UPON UNLOCKING THE PLANE. ONLY FBO HAD ACCESS. FBO DOES NOT USUALLY RETURN PLANES KNOWING THE BATTERY IS DEAD. THEY ONLY OFFERED TO JUMP START BUT NOT A CHARGE. I DEPARTED ON THE FLT. DUE TO THE DELAY; IT WAS NEARLY DARK WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ARPT. I THOUGHT LIGHTING WAS WORKING AND THE FBO EMPLOYEES WAVED ME AWAY WITHOUT NOTE BEFORE THE FLT. MY LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL SYS DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. THE TWR CALLED AS I APCH FOR LNDG STATING MY LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING AND CHK GEAR DOWN. I ASKED TO GAR (I HAVE FIXED GEAR); I WANTED TO FIX THE LNDG LIGHT. I WAS ONLY AWARE THE LNDG LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING. I DID NOT REALIZE THE NAV LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. WHEN I RETURNED THE LIGHTS STILL WERE NOT OPERATING. I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT WITHOUT LIGHTS; AND PARKED. INTERNAL WIRING NEEDED TO BE CHKED. NO ELECTRICAL WORK WAS ORDERED FROM THE FBO BEFORE THE FLT. FBO AT CRP; IT APPEARS; TURNED THE ELECTRICAL MASTER ON TO DISCHARGE THE BATTERY TO DISABLE THE PLANE. THEY DID NOT INFORM ME THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED CHARGING. THEY DELAYED TELLING ME THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED UNTIL DEP. I DID NOT REALIZE THE EXTENT OF DISCHARGE. I DID AN INSPECTION OF THE PLANE EARLIER BEFORE DUSK OP WAS EXPECTED. HAD I KNOWN THE FBO WOULD THEN CAUSE A DELAY AND THE MASTER WAS TURNED ON; I WOULD HAVE LOOKED OVER THE ELECTRICAL SYS MORE THOROUGHLY. I BELIEVE THAT THE FBO SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ME ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL SYS. I DO NOT INTEND TO ACCEPT ANOTHER PLANE FROM FBO X OR ANY FBO WITHOUT THOROUGH INSPECTION. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE LANDED IMMEDIATELY AFTER DETERMINING AN ELECTRICAL PROB EXISTED; BUT I DID NOT REALIZE THE EXTENT AND THOUGHT THE LNDG LIGHTS MIGHT OPERATE IF I CHKED THE SYS.