Narrative:

I was on a day, VFR flight from bur to tvl airports by way of the owens valley. Radar services with joshua approach were terminated just south of bishop, ca, airport with the controller giving a suggested frequency upon which to attempt contact with oakland center for further flight following. An attempt was made to contact ZOA, but due to altitude (12500 ft) and terrain, communication was not possible. I could hear other aircraft talking to center, but could not contact them myself. Approximately 20 mins later, another attempt to contact was made (terrain was lower) but was still unsuccessful. Approximately 10 mins later another attempt was made, but this time I noticed my communication radio would not transmit. I assumed this was a push-to-talk switch problem (since this had happened once before in this aircraft) and attempted to try another radio. No transmissions were possible but reception was satisfactory. Approximately 10 mins later, I noticed the digital display on the #1 radio (only digital display radio) had faded and was completely invisible. I assumed the problem was now a #1 radio problem and attempted contact with center on radio #2. Contact was not possible. By this time, I was approaching the tvl airport from the east and contacted them on a hand held radio, requesting landing instructions for the airport and telling the tower that I was using a hand held and I might lose radio contact with them if the battery didn't last. While descending for pattern altitude, I moved the gear handle to the down position and heard the electric motor work for approximately 5 seconds. Looking at the gear position indicator revealed that the gear was not completely down and the electrical system had failed. The fuel gauges and gear down light were not working. I advised the tower of my situation and requested they confirm via a fly-by that the gear was not 100% down. This confirmation was made by the tower and a subsequent manual extension was performed. Another fly-by revealed a complete gear down confign and a safe, no flap landing was made. No damage to the aircraft and no injuries to the aircraft occupants or ground personnel. No report was requested by the tower. Although this situation may not have been avoided (the generator failed), I should have paid more attention to the charge discharge indicator instead of assuming and focusing on a nonexistent radio problem that was based on my belief that this was a reoccurrence of a previous problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE AT CRUISE, THE PLT OF A BE35 EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBS. AT THE DEST HE USED A HAND HELD RADIO TO COM WITH ATCT CTLR, MANUALLY EXTENDED THE GEAR, AND PERFORMED A FLY BY FOR TWR'S CONFIRMATION OF GEAR EXTENSION.

Narrative: I WAS ON A DAY, VFR FLT FROM BUR TO TVL ARPTS BY WAY OF THE OWENS VALLEY. RADAR SVCS WITH JOSHUA APCH WERE TERMINATED JUST S OF BISHOP, CA, ARPT WITH THE CTLR GIVING A SUGGESTED FREQ UPON WHICH TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH OAKLAND CTR FOR FURTHER FLT FOLLOWING. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CONTACT ZOA, BUT DUE TO ALT (12500 FT) AND TERRAIN, COM WAS NOT POSSIBLE. I COULD HEAR OTHER ACFT TALKING TO CTR, BUT COULD NOT CONTACT THEM MYSELF. APPROX 20 MINS LATER, ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO CONTACT WAS MADE (TERRAIN WAS LOWER) BUT WAS STILL UNSUCCESSFUL. APPROX 10 MINS LATER ANOTHER ATTEMPT WAS MADE, BUT THIS TIME I NOTICED MY COM RADIO WOULD NOT TRANSMIT. I ASSUMED THIS WAS A PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH PROB (SINCE THIS HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE IN THIS ACFT) AND ATTEMPTED TO TRY ANOTHER RADIO. NO TRANSMISSIONS WERE POSSIBLE BUT RECEPTION WAS SATISFACTORY. APPROX 10 MINS LATER, I NOTICED THE DIGITAL DISPLAY ON THE #1 RADIO (ONLY DIGITAL DISPLAY RADIO) HAD FADED AND WAS COMPLETELY INVISIBLE. I ASSUMED THE PROB WAS NOW A #1 RADIO PROB AND ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH CTR ON RADIO #2. CONTACT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. BY THIS TIME, I WAS APCHING THE TVL ARPT FROM THE E AND CONTACTED THEM ON A HAND HELD RADIO, REQUESTING LNDG INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ARPT AND TELLING THE TWR THAT I WAS USING A HAND HELD AND I MIGHT LOSE RADIO CONTACT WITH THEM IF THE BATTERY DIDN'T LAST. WHILE DSNDING FOR PATTERN ALT, I MOVED THE GEAR HANDLE TO THE DOWN POS AND HEARD THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WORK FOR APPROX 5 SECONDS. LOOKING AT THE GEAR POS INDICATOR REVEALED THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT COMPLETELY DOWN AND THE ELECTRICAL SYS HAD FAILED. THE FUEL GAUGES AND GEAR DOWN LIGHT WERE NOT WORKING. I ADVISED THE TWR OF MY SIT AND REQUESTED THEY CONFIRM VIA A FLY-BY THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT 100% DOWN. THIS CONFIRMATION WAS MADE BY THE TWR AND A SUBSEQUENT MANUAL EXTENSION WAS PERFORMED. ANOTHER FLY-BY REVEALED A COMPLETE GEAR DOWN CONFIGN AND A SAFE, NO FLAP LNDG WAS MADE. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO INJURIES TO THE ACFT OCCUPANTS OR GND PERSONNEL. NO RPT WAS REQUESTED BY THE TWR. ALTHOUGH THIS SIT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED (THE GENERATOR FAILED), I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO THE CHARGE DISCHARGE INDICATOR INSTEAD OF ASSUMING AND FOCUSING ON A NONEXISTENT RADIO PROB THAT WAS BASED ON MY BELIEF THAT THIS WAS A REOCCURRENCE OF A PREVIOUS PROB.

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.