Narrative:

The flight had included several landing gear retractions and extensions, all of the airplane's exterior lights, and electronic equipment were on. After listening to ATIS, I contacted arb tower about 10 NM southwest in preparation for landing. About that time I noticed the DME had stopped working. While checking that out, I noticed that the alternator circuit breaker had 'popped.' I reported to arb tower that we had lost our alternator, which they acknowledged, and asked if we needed assistance. I moved the landing gear switch to 'down,' the gear came down and appeared locked. However, all indications of electrical power were missing. I attempted to lower the flaps for landing, but they did not respond properly. There was no indication of electrical fire, so I reset the alternator circuit breaker. The alternator did not respond. By that time I was on short final, with no available electrical power. The landing was uneventful. After taxiing to the t-hangar, I heard the landing gear motor trying to run, but not having enough power to do so. After exiting the airplane, I noticed the landing gear doors were still open. Since I had not been able to communicate with tower since on final, I telephoned them to discuss the event. They were very helpful, and said there was nothing further I need to do about it with them. After charging the battery, a very careful check of the airplane and its system revealed no problems. As best I can tell, I overloaded the electrical system which caused the alternator circuit breaker to 'pop.' I did not notice this had happened until the battery had been run down such that it could not supply energizing power to the alternator. What little power there was by then was being drained by the gear motor unsuccessfully trying to close the gear doors. Thus I had no available electrical power. Actions I intend to take as a result of this experience: don't overload the electrical system, include the alternator readouts in my instrument scan, always, always have at least one good portable navigation-communication radio aboard, and investigate auxiliary battery possibilities. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a turbo cessna 210 on a biennial flight review with an instructor aboard. He was doing multiple approachs with many operations of the landing gear. A new battery has fixed the problem. Initially he charged the battery, but, when it would not hold a charge, he replaced it. The aircraft is a 1973 model. The reporter has flown it more than 1000 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TURBO CESSNA 210 PLT RPTS THAT HE HAD AN ACFT EQUIP PROB BATTERY FAILURE CAUSING HIM TO BE A NORDO ACFT. TRAINING IN PROGRESS BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW.

Narrative: THE FLT HAD INCLUDED SEVERAL LNDG GEAR RETRACTIONS AND EXTENSIONS, ALL OF THE AIRPLANE'S EXTERIOR LIGHTS, AND ELECTRONIC EQUIP WERE ON. AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS, I CONTACTED ARB TWR ABOUT 10 NM SW IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG. ABOUT THAT TIME I NOTICED THE DME HAD STOPPED WORKING. WHILE CHKING THAT OUT, I NOTICED THAT THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD 'POPPED.' I RPTED TO ARB TWR THAT WE HAD LOST OUR ALTERNATOR, WHICH THEY ACKNOWLEDGED, AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED ASSISTANCE. I MOVED THE LNDG GEAR SWITCH TO 'DOWN,' THE GEAR CAME DOWN AND APPEARED LOCKED. HOWEVER, ALL INDICATIONS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WERE MISSING. I ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE FLAPS FOR LNDG, BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND PROPERLY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ELECTRICAL FIRE, SO I RESET THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE ALTERNATOR DID NOT RESPOND. BY THAT TIME I WAS ON SHORT FINAL, WITH NO AVAILABLE ELECTRICAL PWR. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER TAXIING TO THE T-HANGAR, I HEARD THE LNDG GEAR MOTOR TRYING TO RUN, BUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH PWR TO DO SO. AFTER EXITING THE AIRPLANE, I NOTICED THE LNDG GEAR DOORS WERE STILL OPEN. SINCE I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH TWR SINCE ON FINAL, I TELEPHONED THEM TO DISCUSS THE EVENT. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL, AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER I NEED TO DO ABOUT IT WITH THEM. AFTER CHARGING THE BATTERY, A VERY CAREFUL CHK OF THE AIRPLANE AND ITS SYS REVEALED NO PROBS. AS BEST I CAN TELL, I OVERLOADED THE ELECTRICAL SYS WHICH CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER TO 'POP.' I DID NOT NOTICE THIS HAD HAPPENED UNTIL THE BATTERY HAD BEEN RUN DOWN SUCH THAT IT COULD NOT SUPPLY ENERGIZING PWR TO THE ALTERNATOR. WHAT LITTLE PWR THERE WAS BY THEN WAS BEING DRAINED BY THE GEAR MOTOR UNSUCCESSFULLY TRYING TO CLOSE THE GEAR DOORS. THUS I HAD NO AVAILABLE ELECTRICAL PWR. ACTIONS I INTEND TO TAKE AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE: DON'T OVERLOAD THE ELECTRICAL SYS, INCLUDE THE ALTERNATOR READOUTS IN MY INST SCAN, ALWAYS, ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE GOOD PORTABLE NAV-COM RADIO ABOARD, AND INVESTIGATE AUX BATTERY POSSIBILITIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A TURBO CESSNA 210 ON A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW WITH AN INSTRUCTOR ABOARD. HE WAS DOING MULTIPLE APCHS WITH MANY OPS OF THE LNDG GEAR. A NEW BATTERY HAS FIXED THE PROB. INITIALLY HE CHARGED THE BATTERY, BUT, WHEN IT WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE, HE REPLACED IT. THE ACFT IS A 1973 MODEL. THE RPTR HAS FLOWN IT MORE THAN 1000 HRS.

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.