Narrative:

After takeoff from runway 27 at lnn on a flight to yng then lnn, an electrical failure occurred. Attempts to communication with lnn tower were unsuccessful. All communication and navigation radios were observed to be unpwred, but the intercom produced low lever static. No circuit breakers were out. The ammeter produced 1/4 of full scale current which was higher than usual. Lower airspeed and climb rate for a known power setting indicated the landing gear may not have fully retracted. At 600 ft AGL, the last assigned heading of 180 degrees was flown to 3000 ft MSL, as filed, after which a course towards the first chkpoint (VOR cxr), as filed, was flown visually. The lost communications codes of 7700 for 1 min and 7600 for 15 mins were set in the transponder by that point, it was apparent that electrical power could not be restored in flight, so a course to 7g8, the nearest uncontrolled field, was flown at VFR altitude of 3500 ft. Well in advance of entering the landing pattern at 7g8, an attempt was made to lower the landing gear using the panel mounted lever. Placing the lever in the down position restored electrical power to the panel, and then communications and navigation radios functioned. With electrical power available, lnn tower was contacted, the situation was explained, a request was made for lnn tower to cancel IFR with cle departure, and a request for return and landing at lnn was made. A transponder code of 1200 was set as requested by lnn tower. The hydraulic pressure was dumped manually at low airspeed to assure the landing gear was down, and a low pass (250 AGL) flown over runway 27 at lnn so the tower could visually check the landing gear position. A normal landing was made. The pilot visited lnn tower, and no request for a report was made of the pilot by either the local tower or cle departure. During the flight, communications with cle departure was not established. The probable cause was found to be a loose battery post. With the battery unable to supply current to start the hydraulic pump, the voltage dropped and the radios ceased operation. Lnn tower said cle departure had received the lost communication squawk code. Some low level electrical power may have been available. A hand-held transceiver with VOR-navigation capability would have been useful here and essential in IMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY PROB. LOSS OF COM FREQ, UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 27 AT LNN ON A FLT TO YNG THEN LNN, AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE OCCURRED. ATTEMPTS TO COM WITH LNN TWR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. ALL COM AND NAV RADIOS WERE OBSERVED TO BE UNPWRED, BUT THE INTERCOM PRODUCED LOW LEVER STATIC. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE OUT. THE AMMETER PRODUCED 1/4 OF FULL SCALE CURRENT WHICH WAS HIGHER THAN USUAL. LOWER AIRSPD AND CLB RATE FOR A KNOWN PWR SETTING INDICATED THE LNDG GEAR MAY NOT HAVE FULLY RETRACTED. AT 600 FT AGL, THE LAST ASSIGNED HDG OF 180 DEGS WAS FLOWN TO 3000 FT MSL, AS FILED, AFTER WHICH A COURSE TOWARDS THE FIRST CHKPOINT (VOR CXR), AS FILED, WAS FLOWN VISUALLY. THE LOST COMS CODES OF 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND 7600 FOR 15 MINS WERE SET IN THE XPONDER BY THAT POINT, IT WAS APPARENT THAT ELECTRICAL PWR COULD NOT BE RESTORED IN FLT, SO A COURSE TO 7G8, THE NEAREST UNCTLED FIELD, WAS FLOWN AT VFR ALT OF 3500 FT. WELL IN ADVANCE OF ENTERING THE LNDG PATTERN AT 7G8, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR USING THE PANEL MOUNTED LEVER. PLACING THE LEVER IN THE DOWN POS RESTORED ELECTRICAL PWR TO THE PANEL, AND THEN COMS AND NAV RADIOS FUNCTIONED. WITH ELECTRICAL PWR AVAILABLE, LNN TWR WAS CONTACTED, THE SIT WAS EXPLAINED, A REQUEST WAS MADE FOR LNN TWR TO CANCEL IFR WITH CLE DEP, AND A REQUEST FOR RETURN AND LNDG AT LNN WAS MADE. A XPONDER CODE OF 1200 WAS SET AS REQUESTED BY LNN TWR. THE HYD PRESSURE WAS DUMPED MANUALLY AT LOW AIRSPD TO ASSURE THE LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN, AND A LOW PASS (250 AGL) FLOWN OVER RWY 27 AT LNN SO THE TWR COULD VISUALLY CHK THE LNDG GEAR POS. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. THE PLT VISITED LNN TWR, AND NO REQUEST FOR A RPT WAS MADE OF THE PLT BY EITHER THE LCL TWR OR CLE DEP. DURING THE FLT, COMS WITH CLE DEP WAS NOT ESTABLISHED. THE PROBABLE CAUSE WAS FOUND TO BE A LOOSE BATTERY POST. WITH THE BATTERY UNABLE TO SUPPLY CURRENT TO START THE HYD PUMP, THE VOLTAGE DROPPED AND THE RADIOS CEASED OP. LNN TWR SAID CLE DEP HAD RECEIVED THE LOST COM SQUAWK CODE. SOME LOW LEVEL ELECTRICAL PWR MAY HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE. A HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER WITH VOR-NAV CAPABILITY WOULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL HERE AND ESSENTIAL IN IMC.

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.