Narrative:

IFR flight from det to stl. Departed and climbed to 4000 ft MSL in clouds. At 4000 ft MSL hold would not couple, then radar contact lost. I was asked to recycle transponder (complied) communications lost. Placed 7700 in transponder, lost all navigation communications, artificial horizon dropped out and altimeter went dead. Reversed course with air driven instruments on copilot's side, magnetic compass and a stop watch to navigate back toward detroit city. I found a hole in overcast over downtown detroit city and navigated northwest looking for the detroit city airport. Upon finding the airport I circled for about 20 mins cranking the landing gear out for approximately 50 turns clockwise. The handle turned freely at first, then seemed to bind. I tried to reverse direction but was unable to then move it in any direction. Electrical load was taken off and landing gear motor circuit breaker pulled out with the gear handle down. This procedure was reversed also to see if there was any battery current to activate the gear. No help and manual technique tried again. After all attempts failed, I was given a red and green flashing light by the tower and proceeded to land with the gear partially extended. Engines were off, cut with mixtures, fuel off, magnetos off. Perfect landing. Glided onto the high speed taxiway east. From this point secured aircraft. Exit cabin and left to airport authority/authorized office. Airport authority/authorized director called michigan aviation to place aircraft on dolly to remove. The damage now begins! They jacked up both engines with a cleavis and a-frame. Smashed and split tail cone. Placed tail on a metal table, removed hoist from right engine. Lowered right main gear and nose gear. Raised left engine causing tail to fall off table, right gear to collapse and plane to fall on right wing a wrinkle. I had to leave. Could not watch. They then apparently hired a crane and strapped under nose behind nose gear. This strap broke the nose and crumpled baggage compartment, bending nose up from broken lower spar. The rear strap broke right and left flap, entry step and fuselage trim. What a bad way to handle this aircraft. The purpose of this report is twofold. The first of which is dealing with total electrical failure and communications and the subsequent use of cellular telephones. It may be beneficial for all parties involved in this type of situation to be able to use cellular telephones to contact the tower without a violation from the FCC. Secondly, advisory should deal with a certificate that acknowledges training and expertise for a FBO that is capable of removing an aircraft from an active taxiway or runway with the landing gear retracted without causing more damage to the aircraft than the initial incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ELECTRICAL FAILURE PARTIAL GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: IFR FLT FROM DET TO STL. DEPARTED AND CLBED TO 4000 FT MSL IN CLOUDS. AT 4000 FT MSL HOLD WOULD NOT COUPLE, THEN RADAR CONTACT LOST. I WAS ASKED TO RECYCLE XPONDER (COMPLIED) COMS LOST. PLACED 7700 IN XPONDER, LOST ALL NAV COMS, ARTIFICIAL HORIZON DROPPED OUT AND ALTIMETER WENT DEAD. REVERSED COURSE WITH AIR DRIVEN INSTS ON COPLT'S SIDE, MAGNETIC COMPASS AND A STOP WATCH TO NAVIGATE BACK TOWARD DETROIT CITY. I FOUND A HOLE IN OVCST OVER DOWNTOWN DETROIT CITY AND NAVIGATED NW LOOKING FOR THE DETROIT CITY ARPT. UPON FINDING THE ARPT I CIRCLED FOR ABOUT 20 MINS CRANKING THE LNDG GEAR OUT FOR APPROX 50 TURNS CLOCKWISE. THE HANDLE TURNED FREELY AT FIRST, THEN SEEMED TO BIND. I TRIED TO REVERSE DIRECTION BUT WAS UNABLE TO THEN MOVE IT IN ANY DIRECTION. ELECTRICAL LOAD WAS TAKEN OFF AND LNDG GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED OUT WITH THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN. THIS PROC WAS REVERSED ALSO TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY BATTERY CURRENT TO ACTIVATE THE GEAR. NO HELP AND MANUAL TECHNIQUE TRIED AGAIN. AFTER ALL ATTEMPTS FAILED, I WAS GIVEN A RED AND GREEN FLASHING LIGHT BY THE TWR AND PROCEEDED TO LAND WITH THE GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. ENGS WERE OFF, CUT WITH MIXTURES, FUEL OFF, MAGNETOS OFF. PERFECT LNDG. GLIDED ONTO THE HIGH SPD TXWY E. FROM THIS POINT SECURED ACFT. EXIT CABIN AND LEFT TO ARPT AUTH OFFICE. ARPT AUTH DIRECTOR CALLED MICHIGAN AVIATION TO PLACE ACFT ON DOLLY TO REMOVE. THE DAMAGE NOW BEGINS! THEY JACKED UP BOTH ENGS WITH A CLEAVIS AND A-FRAME. SMASHED AND SPLIT TAIL CONE. PLACED TAIL ON A METAL TABLE, REMOVED HOIST FROM R ENG. LOWERED R MAIN GEAR AND NOSE GEAR. RAISED L ENG CAUSING TAIL TO FALL OFF TABLE, R GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND PLANE TO FALL ON R WING A WRINKLE. I HAD TO LEAVE. COULD NOT WATCH. THEY THEN APPARENTLY HIRED A CRANE AND STRAPPED UNDER NOSE BEHIND NOSE GEAR. THIS STRAP BROKE THE NOSE AND CRUMPLED BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, BENDING NOSE UP FROM BROKEN LOWER SPAR. THE REAR STRAP BROKE R AND L FLAP, ENTRY STEP AND FUSELAGE TRIM. WHAT A BAD WAY TO HANDLE THIS ACFT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TWOFOLD. THE FIRST OF WHICH IS DEALING WITH TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND COMS AND THE SUBSEQUENT USE OF CELLULAR TELEPHONES. IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN THIS TYPE OF SIT TO BE ABLE TO USE CELLULAR TELEPHONES TO CONTACT THE TWR WITHOUT A VIOLATION FROM THE FCC. SECONDLY, ADVISORY SHOULD DEAL WITH A CERTIFICATE THAT ACKNOWLEDGES TRAINING AND EXPERTISE FOR A FBO THAT IS CAPABLE OF REMOVING AN ACFT FROM AN ACTIVE TXWY OR RWY WITH THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTED WITHOUT CAUSING MORE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT THAN THE INITIAL INCIDENT.

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.