Narrative:

I departed duj approximately PM10 local time for a 1 hour and 10 min IFR flight to mtn. During the first 45 mins of the flight all system were operating nominally. While in contact with harrisburg approach I was given radar vectors to the southeast to avoid a storm cell in the vicinity. I noticed near har (harrisburg, PA VOR) that I was getting an intermittent red flag on the VOR receiver. Since I had verified earlier the station with its morse code identify and knew that I had recently passed over the station, I suspected some type of equipment problem. A careful examination of all system gages revealed that the amp meter was showing from my vantage point (the right seat) a very slight discharge. From where I was sitting the needle appeared deflected to the left less than a needle's width -- about 1/16TH of an inch. (Looking at the meter from the left side of the cockpit, it appeared to be about centered). To check for battery charging, I turned on and off the strobe lights (equipment that normally draws a lot of power). I noticed that the needle did not move. Checking the circuit breakers I discovered that an alternator breaker was out (tripped). Upon resetting the breaker, I observed a positive charge (about 1/4TH of an inch needle deflection). This lasted maybe 5 mins when the amp meter needle returned to very slight discharge and the breaker tripped again. Upon suspecting an electrical problem, I turned off all nonessential electrical equipment (#2 navigation/communication, DME, storm scope, outside lighting). I once again reset the alternator circuit breaker, and again within a few mins got the same result. By this time I had been handed off to baltimore approach control (from harrisburg approach). Balance approach informed me that there was level 5 storm activity moving from bwi towards mtn and that they would not recommend a localizer runway 15 approach. At this time, my receiver was producing a loud backgnd hiss and balance approach informed me that they were no longer receiving my transponder. I estimate that I was about 25-30 mi from mtn when balance approach next informed me that they were unable to understand my radio transmission and told me to switch to another frequency. My reception was no better on the alternate frequency and balance approach was still not receiving my radio xmissions. I connected my headset to my portable transceiver and tuned in the last assigned frequency. Balance approach continued to inform me that they were unable to receive my transmission. I was instructed to turn to make a few heading changes and then turn to a heading of 090 degree to head directly to forest hill airpark. I recall being instructed to make a visual landing at forest hill and call approach. From my actions and balance approach instructions to me, I concluded that balance approach knew that I could receive their xmissions. By this time all of the electrical equipment was not functioning, including instrument panel lighting. My passenger retrieved a flashlight and as best as he could illuminated the instruments. At this point I elected to remain in the vicinity and remain in radio contact with balance approach rather than turn to the north and possibly lose contact with ATC. Since I had no other communication or primary navigation equipment, I did not want to venture 'blind and mute' into other airspace and possibly worse WX conditions. I made visual contact with forest hill airpark and continued to descend to remain within visual contact. I flew directly over the airport and then made a 180 degree turn to the left to overfly the airport to enter a l-hand pattern. The ceiling appeared to be coming down as a dark cloud formation was moving into the area. As I was flying the downwind leg, I lowered the flap handle and throttled back power to slow my airspeed and fly as normal a pattern as possible. While on the downwind leg and just before turning base leg I lowered the landing gear handle. Realizing that my electrical system had failed and that there was little if any power left in my battery, I tried to pump the emergency gear handle while I continued to fly the airplane on base and final approach. With my left hand alternately working the trim and throttle, I tried to pump the lever but was unable to get it to cycle enoughtimes to lock the gear. At this point I was approaching the landing end of the runway and decided to make an emergency landing rather than continue flying with no radio communications or navigation capability into deteriorating WX conditions. The plane landed smoothly, remained on the runway and came to a complete stop on the runway. No one was injured and the plane did not collide with anything. There was no fire or other major damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE IN A POSSIBLE LNDG PROC WHERE THE GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I DEPARTED DUJ APPROX PM10 LCL TIME FOR A 1 HR AND 10 MIN IFR FLT TO MTN. DURING THE FIRST 45 MINS OF THE FLT ALL SYS WERE OPERATING NOMINALLY. WHILE IN CONTACT WITH HARRISBURG APCH I WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO THE SE TO AVOID A STORM CELL IN THE VICINITY. I NOTICED NEAR HAR (HARRISBURG, PA VOR) THAT I WAS GETTING AN INTERMITTENT RED FLAG ON THE VOR RECEIVER. SINCE I HAD VERIFIED EARLIER THE STATION WITH ITS MORSE CODE IDENT AND KNEW THAT I HAD RECENTLY PASSED OVER THE STATION, I SUSPECTED SOME TYPE OF EQUIP PROB. A CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF ALL SYS GAGES REVEALED THAT THE AMP METER WAS SHOWING FROM MY VANTAGE POINT (THE R SEAT) A VERY SLIGHT DISCHARGE. FROM WHERE I WAS SITTING THE NEEDLE APPEARED DEFLECTED TO THE L LESS THAN A NEEDLE'S WIDTH -- ABOUT 1/16TH OF AN INCH. (LOOKING AT THE METER FROM THE L SIDE OF THE COCKPIT, IT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT CTRED). TO CHK FOR BATTERY CHARGING, I TURNED ON AND OFF THE STROBE LIGHTS (EQUIP THAT NORMALLY DRAWS A LOT OF PWR). I NOTICED THAT THE NEEDLE DID NOT MOVE. CHKING THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS I DISCOVERED THAT AN ALTERNATOR BREAKER WAS OUT (TRIPPED). UPON RESETTING THE BREAKER, I OBSERVED A POSITIVE CHARGE (ABOUT 1/4TH OF AN INCH NEEDLE DEFLECTION). THIS LASTED MAYBE 5 MINS WHEN THE AMP METER NEEDLE RETURNED TO VERY SLIGHT DISCHARGE AND THE BREAKER TRIPPED AGAIN. UPON SUSPECTING AN ELECTRICAL PROB, I TURNED OFF ALL NONESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIP (#2 NAV/COM, DME, STORM SCOPE, OUTSIDE LIGHTING). I ONCE AGAIN RESET THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND AGAIN WITHIN A FEW MINS GOT THE SAME RESULT. BY THIS TIME I HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO BALTIMORE APCH CTL (FROM HARRISBURG APCH). BAL APCH INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS LEVEL 5 STORM ACTIVITY MOVING FROM BWI TOWARDS MTN AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND A LOC RWY 15 APCH. AT THIS TIME, MY RECEIVER WAS PRODUCING A LOUD BACKGND HISS AND BAL APCH INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY XPONDER. I ESTIMATE THAT I WAS ABOUT 25-30 MI FROM MTN WHEN BAL APCH NEXT INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND MY RADIO XMISSION AND TOLD ME TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER FREQ. MY RECEPTION WAS NO BETTER ON THE ALTERNATE FREQ AND BAL APCH WAS STILL NOT RECEIVING MY RADIO XMISSIONS. I CONNECTED MY HEADSET TO MY PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER AND TUNED IN THE LAST ASSIGNED FREQ. BAL APCH CONTINUED TO INFORM ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE MY XMISSION. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO MAKE A FEW HDG CHANGES AND THEN TURN TO A HDG OF 090 DEG TO HEAD DIRECTLY TO FOREST HILL AIRPARK. I RECALL BEING INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A VISUAL LNDG AT FOREST HILL AND CALL APCH. FROM MY ACTIONS AND BAL APCH INSTRUCTIONS TO ME, I CONCLUDED THAT BAL APCH KNEW THAT I COULD RECEIVE THEIR XMISSIONS. BY THIS TIME ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL EQUIP WAS NOT FUNCTIONING, INCLUDING INST PANEL LIGHTING. MY PAX RETRIEVED A FLASHLIGHT AND AS BEST AS HE COULD ILLUMINATED THE INSTS. AT THIS POINT I ELECTED TO REMAIN IN THE VICINITY AND REMAIN IN RADIO CONTACT WITH BAL APCH RATHER THAN TURN TO THE N AND POSSIBLY LOSE CONTACT WITH ATC. SINCE I HAD NO OTHER COM OR PRIMARY NAV EQUIP, I DID NOT WANT TO VENTURE 'BLIND AND MUTE' INTO OTHER AIRSPACE AND POSSIBLY WORSE WX CONDITIONS. I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH FOREST HILL AIRPARK AND CONTINUED TO DSND TO REMAIN WITHIN VISUAL CONTACT. I FLEW DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AND THEN MADE A 180 DEG TURN TO THE L TO OVERFLY THE ARPT TO ENTER A L-HAND PATTERN. THE CEILING APPEARED TO BE COMING DOWN AS A DARK CLOUD FORMATION WAS MOVING INTO THE AREA. AS I WAS FLYING THE DOWNWIND LEG, I LOWERED THE FLAP HANDLE AND THROTTLED BACK PWR TO SLOW MY AIRSPD AND FLY AS NORMAL A PATTERN AS POSSIBLE. WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG AND JUST BEFORE TURNING BASE LEG I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE. REALIZING THAT MY ELECTRICAL SYS HAD FAILED AND THAT THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANY PWR LEFT IN MY BATTERY, I TRIED TO PUMP THE EMER GEAR HANDLE WHILE I CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE ON BASE AND FINAL APCH. WITH MY L HAND ALTERNATELY WORKING THE TRIM AND THROTTLE, I TRIED TO PUMP THE LEVER BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET IT TO CYCLE ENOUGHTIMES TO LOCK THE GEAR. AT THIS POINT I WAS APCHING THE LNDG END OF THE RWY AND DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG RATHER THAN CONTINUE FLYING WITH NO RADIO COMS OR NAV CAPABILITY INTO DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS. THE PLANE LANDED SMOOTHLY, REMAINED ON THE RWY AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE RWY. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE PLANE DID NOT COLLIDE WITH ANYTHING. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR OTHER MAJOR DAMAGE.

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.