Narrative:

I was flying on an IFR flight plan from fcm to lnk (flying cloud, mn, to lincoln, northeast) at 8000 ft with a solid cloud level at approximately 5200 ft. My last transmission was to report crossing FOD. Approximately 15-20 min later, I noticed the ammeter discharging and the alternator light on. I proceeded to recycle the system to put the alternator back on-line. When I couldn't get the alternator light to go on, I tried to call center and tell them I had an electrical failure. I could not raise them nor did I get a side tone on my headset. About this time I received a transmission from center for a transponder identify, which I did. When they called to identify again, I switched to 7600 and pushed identify. I then proceeded to shut down all electrical except one communication radio. I knew I should be getting close to my destination, so I descended VFR to the cloud tops until I found a hole. I descended through the hole and proceeded southwest until I saw a major road and followed it until I came to (what I now know was) offutt air force base. As I was flying below the clouds, I took out the pilot's operating handbook to look for any information on the standby power switch that was on the instrument panel, but there wasn't anything in the book. When I had the airport (offutt) in sight, I turned the switch to standby power, but nothing happened. By this time I had re-read the section on emergency gear extensions. I proceeded to put the gear down by electrical power. I felt the gear go down and watched (stared) as the in-transit light went out and the three green lights glowed faintly, but they were on. A side note -- it does not state in the pilot's operating handbook that the gear should be checked manually by crank if the lights are on. It does imply if the gear is down, don't mess with it. As I made my approach to the control tower at the airport (offutt) to get a green light, I realized that the airport was offutt air force base, it was a this time that I knew where I was, since I grew up in bellevue, northeast. I broke off from the traffic pattern to offutt and proceeded to mle, millard airport. I left the gear down, as per all the books and training, and flew VFR to mle. On my approach to millard, I saw the windsock swinging out of the north, but favoring runway 12, so I made my approach to runway 12. As I touched down, I felt the right main landing gear collapse and the right wing drop, followed by the nose and left gear retracting. I slid down the runway, finally came to rest about midway down the runway, off to the right in the grass. Looking back, there are 2 things I would have corrected on this incident -- 1 is to have a hand held emergency radio in my flight bag. The second, would be to either inform pilots, or have in the pilot's operating handbook, a notation that once the landing gear is down, it would be a good idea to check manually with the crank, to make sure the gear is locked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS GEAR UP AFTER LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR PREVENTS NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM FCM TO LNK (FLYING CLOUD, MN, TO LINCOLN, NE) AT 8000 FT WITH A SOLID CLOUD LEVEL AT APPROX 5200 FT. MY LAST XMISSION WAS TO RPT XING FOD. APPROX 15-20 MIN LATER, I NOTICED THE AMMETER DISCHARGING AND THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT ON. I PROCEEDED TO RECYCLE THE SYS TO PUT THE ALTERNATOR BACK ON-LINE. WHEN I COULDN'T GET THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT TO GO ON, I TRIED TO CALL CTR AND TELL THEM I HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I COULD NOT RAISE THEM NOR DID I GET A SIDE TONE ON MY HEADSET. ABOUT THIS TIME I RECEIVED A XMISSION FROM CTR FOR A TRANSPONDER IDENT, WHICH I DID. WHEN THEY CALLED TO IDENT AGAIN, I SWITCHED TO 7600 AND PUSHED IDENT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL EXCEPT ONE COM RADIO. I KNEW I SHOULD BE GETTING CLOSE TO MY DEST, SO I DSNDED VFR TO THE CLOUD TOPS UNTIL I FOUND A HOLE. I DSNDED THROUGH THE HOLE AND PROCEEDED SW UNTIL I SAW A MAJOR ROAD AND FOLLOWED IT UNTIL I CAME TO (WHAT I NOW KNOW WAS) OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE. AS I WAS FLYING BELOW THE CLOUDS, I TOOK OUT THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK TO LOOK FOR ANY INFO ON THE STANDBY PWR SWITCH THAT WAS ON THE INST PANEL, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING IN THE BOOK. WHEN I HAD THE ARPT (OFFUTT) IN SIGHT, I TURNED THE SWITCH TO STANDBY PWR, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. BY THIS TIME I HAD RE-READ THE SECTION ON EMER GEAR EXTENSIONS. I PROCEEDED TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN BY ELECTRICAL PWR. I FELT THE GEAR GO DOWN AND WATCHED (STARED) AS THE IN-TRANSIT LIGHT WENT OUT AND THE THREE GREEN LIGHTS GLOWED FAINTLY, BUT THEY WERE ON. A SIDE NOTE -- IT DOES NOT STATE IN THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK THAT THE GEAR SHOULD BE CHKED MANUALLY BY CRANK IF THE LIGHTS ARE ON. IT DOES IMPLY IF THE GEAR IS DOWN, DON'T MESS WITH IT. AS I MADE MY APCH TO THE CTL TWR AT THE ARPT (OFFUTT) TO GET A GREEN LIGHT, I REALIZED THAT THE ARPT WAS OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, IT WAS A THIS TIME THAT I KNEW WHERE I WAS, SINCE I GREW UP IN BELLEVUE, NE. I BROKE OFF FROM THE TFC PATTERN TO OFFUTT AND PROCEEDED TO MLE, MILLARD ARPT. I LEFT THE GEAR DOWN, AS PER ALL THE BOOKS AND TRAINING, AND FLEW VFR TO MLE. ON MY APCH TO MILLARD, I SAW THE WINDSOCK SWINGING OUT OF THE N, BUT FAVORING RUNWAY 12, SO I MADE MY APCH TO RWY 12. AS I TOUCHED DOWN, I FELT THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE AND THE R WING DROP, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE AND L GEAR RETRACTING. I SLID DOWN THE RWY, FINALLY CAME TO REST ABOUT MIDWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, OFF TO THE R IN THE GRASS. LOOKING BACK, THERE ARE 2 THINGS I WOULD HAVE CORRECTED ON THIS INCIDENT -- 1 IS TO HAVE A HAND HELD EMER RADIO IN MY FLT BAG. THE SECOND, WOULD BE TO EITHER INFORM PLTS, OR HAVE IN THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, A NOTATION THAT ONCE THE LNDG GEAR IS DOWN, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO CHK MANUALLY WITH THE CRANK, TO MAKE SURE THE GEAR IS LOCKED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.