Commuter aircraft has no gear down lights on approach. Notifies tower of missed approach then has to...

Attributes
ACN	218028
Time
Date	199208
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia airport : tmb
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 6400 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	218028
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Final approach controller (133.05) reported radio transmissions were weak. Then he reported that transponder had failed. Switched radios and recycled transponder. Cleared for visual approach 9R kmia behind large transport. Controller reported transponder out again -- contact the tower 123.90. Tower cleared me to land 9R behind traffic -- keep speed up for following traffic. Kept approach speed up (approximately 140 KTS). Lowered flaps 15 degrees and put gear down on short final, after airspeed had bled off to vlo. No green down and locked lights at all. Continued to lower flaps on schedule to 45 degrees, while testing gear down lights. Over the numbers, unable to get gear down and locked indication. Elected to go around and executed a missed approach from 50 ft AGL. Reported to tower that we were going around. He said 'say intentions.' I said we have an indication problem -- request right downwind 9R.' at this point radios went totally dead, fuel gauges read '0' and I realized we had a total electrical failure. Flew runway heading to 1000 ft AGL, and proceeded VFR to ktmb, a small GA airport. While en route, tried resetting both alternators -- no help. Ran manual gear extension checklist (electrical gear), briefed passenger (7) for possible gear up emergency landing, tried radios again, squawk 7700, ran flaps up landing checklist and executed visual approach 9R ktmb. Saw an small aircraft on final and executed a 360 degree turn for spacing. On final, I rocked wings to alert ktmb tower, and I received green light signals -- clear to land. Accomplished '0' flap landing. Gear was down! A first officer/copilot would have been a help. A little mirror on engine cowl to show nose gear would have helped. If alternator failure/annunciator low voltage lights would have worked I would have been warned (alternator circuit breakers were both found to be popped, battery low on water, left alternator wire broken).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT HAS NO GEAR DOWN LIGHTS ON APCH. NOTIFIES TWR OF MISSED APCH THEN HAS TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. DIVERTS TO NEARBY GA ARPT.

Narrative: FINAL APCH CTLR (133.05) RPTED RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE WEAK. THEN HE RPTED THAT TRANSPONDER HAD FAILED. SWITCHED RADIOS AND RECYCLED TRANSPONDER. CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH 9R KMIA BEHIND LGT. CTLR RPTED TRANSPONDER OUT AGAIN -- CONTACT THE TWR 123.90. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND 9R BEHIND TFC -- KEEP SPD UP FOR FOLLOWING TFC. KEPT APCH SPD UP (APPROX 140 KTS). LOWERED FLAPS 15 DEGS AND PUT GEAR DOWN ON SHORT FINAL, AFTER AIRSPD HAD BLED OFF TO VLO. NO GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS AT ALL. CONTINUED TO LOWER FLAPS ON SCHEDULE TO 45 DEGS, WHILE TESTING GEAR DOWN LIGHTS. OVER THE NUMBERS, UNABLE TO GET GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. ELECTED TO GAR AND EXECUTED A MISSED APCH FROM 50 FT AGL. RPTED TO TWR THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND. HE SAID 'SAY INTENTIONS.' I SAID WE HAVE AN INDICATION PROBLEM -- REQUEST R DOWNWIND 9R.' AT THIS POINT RADIOS WENT TOTALLY DEAD, FUEL GAUGES READ '0' AND I REALIZED WE HAD A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. FLEW RWY HDG TO 1000 FT AGL, AND PROCEEDED VFR TO KTMB, A SMALL GA ARPT. WHILE ENRTE, TRIED RESETTING BOTH ALTERNATORS -- NO HELP. RAN MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION CHKLIST (ELECTRICAL GEAR), BRIEFED PAX (7) FOR POSSIBLE GEAR UP EMER LNDG, TRIED RADIOS AGAIN, SQUAWK 7700, RAN FLAPS UP LNDG CHKLIST AND EXECUTED VISUAL APCH 9R KTMB. SAW AN SMA ON FINAL AND EXECUTED A 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING. ON FINAL, I ROCKED WINGS TO ALERT KTMB TWR, AND I RECEIVED GREEN LIGHT SIGNALS -- CLR TO LAND. ACCOMPLISHED '0' FLAP LNDG. GEAR WAS DOWN! A FO/COPLT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HELP. A LITTLE MIRROR ON ENG COWL TO SHOW NOSE GEAR WOULD HAVE HELPED. IF ALTERNATOR FAILURE/ANNUNCIATOR LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTS WOULD HAVE WORKED I WOULD HAVE BEEN WARNED (ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE BOTH FOUND TO BE POPPED, BATTERY LOW ON WATER, L ALTERNATOR WIRE BROKEN).

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.

Commuter aircraft has no gear down lights on approach. Notifies tower of missed approach then has total electrical failure. Diverts to nearby GA airport.