Narrative:

I took 3 friends for a ride in my twin small transport as a gift for my 3 friends in return for favors they did for me. Other people who had ridden with me told them to ask me to feather an engine (an exciting event for single engine pilots)! My friends had never been in an airplane of any kind. Takeoff and climb was normal -- so as asked -- I feathered the right engine. It feathered normally. After all 3 had looked at the stationary propeller, I pushed the button to unfeather -- no blade movement! I hit the starter button -- no movement. I retarded right throttle -- no gear horn. I called unicom to report I was making a feathered propeller landing -- and transmission was acknowledged -- then no lights and electrical instruments went to zero. Volt ammeter on left engine 0. By now I was downwind leg at 600 ft AGL engine feathered at 1100 ft AGL due to widely scattered clouds -- and to avoid VOR approach (ILS out due to airport construction). I called unicom to report no need for fire rescue -- transmission not received. I was turning final at 200 ft -- cranked down flaps -- and landed without incident -- except for curling of left engine. Propeller at touchdown -- all switches -- fuel, power off. What happened was, when I feathered right engine -- feathering pump pulls 56-90 amps for a few seconds (5 to 20) and solenoid disconnected cutting all electrical power. Emergency gear is located by pilot's right ankle and requires release of safety catch -- the protective shield is lifted -- and pilot heel hits clutch release button and gear freefalls to 80-90 full down and is then cranked by hand until green down light. To do this, pilot or copilot has to lean down under control wheel and release safety latch and cover. Had I done that, wing may have dug in and aircraft cartwheeled with disastrous results. Had I had 200 more ft of altitude or a pilot in right side it would have been routine. No injuries and only superficial damage resulted (flaps and lower cowling). I have not determined cause of electrical failure. It has been declared an incident by FAA -- unless they change their minds. I request immunity from certificate action by FAA against my pilot certificate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT FEATHERS ENG AS ENTERTAINMENT FOR PAX. UNABLE RESTART. LOSES ALL ELECTRICAL AS WELL. LANDS GEAR UP, SINGLE ENG.

Narrative: I TOOK 3 FRIENDS FOR A RIDE IN MY TWIN SMT AS A GIFT FOR MY 3 FRIENDS IN RETURN FOR FAVORS THEY DID FOR ME. OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD RIDDEN WITH ME TOLD THEM TO ASK ME TO FEATHER AN ENG (AN EXCITING EVENT FOR SINGLE ENG PLTS)! MY FRIENDS HAD NEVER BEEN IN AN AIRPLANE OF ANY KIND. TKOF AND CLB WAS NORMAL -- SO AS ASKED -- I FEATHERED THE R ENG. IT FEATHERED NORMALLY. AFTER ALL 3 HAD LOOKED AT THE STATIONARY PROP, I PUSHED THE BUTTON TO UNFEATHER -- NO BLADE MOVEMENT! I HIT THE STARTER BUTTON -- NO MOVEMENT. I RETARDED R THROTTLE -- NO GEAR HORN. I CALLED UNICOM TO RPT I WAS MAKING A FEATHERED PROP LNDG -- AND XMISSION WAS ACKNOWLEDGED -- THEN NO LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL INSTS WENT TO ZERO. VOLT AMMETER ON L ENG 0. BY NOW I WAS DOWNWIND LEG AT 600 FT AGL ENG FEATHERED AT 1100 FT AGL DUE TO WIDELY SCATTERED CLOUDS -- AND TO AVOID VOR APCH (ILS OUT DUE TO ARPT CONSTRUCTION). I CALLED UNICOM TO RPT NO NEED FOR FIRE RESCUE -- XMISSION NOT RECEIVED. I WAS TURNING FINAL AT 200 FT -- CRANKED DOWN FLAPS -- AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT -- EXCEPT FOR CURLING OF L ENG. PROP AT TOUCHDOWN -- ALL SWITCHES -- FUEL, PWR OFF. WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WHEN I FEATHERED R ENG -- FEATHERING PUMP PULLS 56-90 AMPS FOR A FEW SECONDS (5 TO 20) AND SOLENOID DISCONNECTED CUTTING ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. EMER GEAR IS LOCATED BY PLT'S R ANKLE AND REQUIRES RELEASE OF SAFETY CATCH -- THE PROTECTIVE SHIELD IS LIFTED -- AND PLT HEEL HITS CLUTCH RELEASE BUTTON AND GEAR FREEFALLS TO 80-90 FULL DOWN AND IS THEN CRANKED BY HAND UNTIL GREEN DOWN LIGHT. TO DO THIS, PLT OR COPLT HAS TO LEAN DOWN UNDER CTL WHEEL AND RELEASE SAFETY LATCH AND COVER. HAD I DONE THAT, WING MAY HAVE DUG IN AND ACFT CARTWHEELED WITH DISASTROUS RESULTS. HAD I HAD 200 MORE FT OF ALT OR A PLT IN R SIDE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ROUTINE. NO INJURIES AND ONLY SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE RESULTED (FLAPS AND LOWER COWLING). I HAVE NOT DETERMINED CAUSE OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE. IT HAS BEEN DECLARED AN INCIDENT BY FAA -- UNLESS THEY CHANGE THEIR MINDS. I REQUEST IMMUNITY FROM CERTIFICATE ACTION BY FAA AGAINST MY PLT CERTIFICATE.

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.