Narrative:

Departed love field about XA00 pm. About 10 mins later while talking to regional departure 125.2, the lights dimmed. While investigating, the rest of electrical system went out. After going through the checklist the second time electrical system came back up. I thought the problem was a bad voltage regulator. I told ATC that I had an electrical problem and would like to return to love. After extending the gear I heard the gear come down, the plane slowed down and the electrical system failed again. I checked the mechanical nose gear 'pointer' and it indicated down. I was unable to regain power so I made a visual approach and received the light gun signal to land. Everything was normal but when the wheels touched they collapsed. The FAA is investigating and I believe they blame me for not cranking the gear down manually. The emergency checklist and system manual does not address the situation in which the gear is down. I was taught not to engage the hand crank once the gear has been lowered electrically. Now I know that was wrong, but the manual should be more detailed. I asked other pilots what they would have done and nobody knew. I think this could have been avoided with better training and more detailed aircraft manuals.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE OF AN SMT TWIN RESULTED IN GEAR COLLAPSING DURING RETURN LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED LOVE FIELD ABOUT XA00 PM. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER WHILE TALKING TO REGIONAL DEP 125.2, THE LIGHTS DIMMED. WHILE INVESTIGATING, THE REST OF ELECTRICAL SYS WENT OUT. AFTER GOING THROUGH THE CHKLIST THE SECOND TIME ELECTRICAL SYS CAME BACK UP. I THOUGHT THE PROB WAS A BAD VOLTAGE REGULATOR. I TOLD ATC THAT I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROB AND WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO LOVE. AFTER EXTENDING THE GEAR I HEARD THE GEAR COME DOWN, THE PLANE SLOWED DOWN AND THE ELECTRICAL SYS FAILED AGAIN. I CHKED THE MECHANICAL NOSE GEAR 'POINTER' AND IT INDICATED DOWN. I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN PWR SO I MADE A VISUAL APCH AND RECEIVED THE LIGHT GUN SIGNAL TO LAND. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL BUT WHEN THE WHEELS TOUCHED THEY COLLAPSED. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING AND I BELIEVE THEY BLAME ME FOR NOT CRANKING THE GEAR DOWN MANUALLY. THE EMER CHKLIST AND SYS MANUAL DOES NOT ADDRESS THE SIT IN WHICH THE GEAR IS DOWN. I WAS TAUGHT NOT TO ENGAGE THE HAND CRANK ONCE THE GEAR HAS BEEN LOWERED ELECTRICALLY. NOW I KNOW THAT WAS WRONG, BUT THE MANUAL SHOULD BE MORE DETAILED. I ASKED OTHER PLTS WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE AND NOBODY KNEW. I THINK THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH BETTER TRAINING AND MORE DETAILED ACFT MANUALS.

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.