Citation II S2/Bravo (C550)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 47; Flight Crew Total 8000; Flight Crew Type 1200
Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Human-Machine Interface; Troubleshooting; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Aircraft
Had good communications on the ground with Ground Control; taxi; Tower and through first part [of the] departure. Radio started to get weak and unreadable. Center said to turn back toward our departure airport due to unreadable transmissions. Went over to the Tower and was told to click twice if I understood his instructions which I did. [I] was told right downwind clear to land. As we started down we were still trying to find out what was going on with electric when [the] pilot flying reset [a] generator and got some power restored. [I] was asked to click twice if I had a major problem which I did not at that point. Pilot flying started descent to land. After landing we got all power restored; and pilot flying reset all generators and radios worked. As a foot note; we had no indication that any electric problem had occurred before or during takeoff. No caution lights or emergency lights. After both generators had been reset; red emergency light came ON and I reset it on the ground. It was [as] if we were on a weak discharging battery; as the flight went on [and] radios became unreadable. I could not see the positions of the switches from copilot position. Pilot flying did get power restored before I could get to [the] checklist. After we were on the ground; pilot flying said he was not sure what went on but he was resetting inverters and generators to get power restored. Good job.
A CE550 electrical system malfunctioned without flight station annunciations but after ATC reported weak and failing communicaitons the crew returned to the departure airport where generator and inverter resets restored normal electrical operations.