Narrative:

On climb out to the practice area southwest of the airport (mlb) passing through approximately 3000 ft, I was about to call flight operations at the school to report entering the area. I then noticed that my radios were out. While trying to get them to work (and realizing that I couldn't), I saw that I had completely lost electrical power. After trying every checklist, and everything else, I squawked 7600 and headed out over the ocean, where there was a clear spot to descend between the clouds that had formed at about 1500 ft. Upon reaching 1000 ft, I realized that without electrical power, I could not normally lower the landing gear. I headed back over the ocean to troubleshoot. Once again, I tried every procedure available. And once again, nothing worked. I entered mlb class D airspace and began to circle at 1000 ft approximately 1/2 - 1 mi north of the tower (standard procedure is to climb at 1500 ft, but the cloud layer was at about 1300 ft). After several mins, unsure of whether the controllers saw me, I did what I judged best, I made a right base to final for runway 22 (see below). Being too nervous to stabilize a descent approach, I went around and continued in the standard left pattern for runway 22. On climb out, I saw what appeared to be a flashing green light for approximately 1 second. In the absence of light signals, I again did what I judged best. I came back again and landed the plane gear up, touching down about 1/3 of the way down and sliding the remainder of the 3000 ft strip. I walked out of the airplane without assistance. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of FBO for their help, and the administrators and my flight instructors who trained me to be the pilot I am today. Without them, I would have been lost on this day in may. Callback conversation with flight school revealed the following information: analyst contacted a flight school which has the same model aircraft to ascertain the manual gear extension procedures for the mooney M20J. One does exist and it is a cable extension in which one releases bracket and then uses a twisting motion to extend the gear. Apparently for all his thanks to the flight school and the instructors, the reporter was not aware of this system and made no use of it, landing gear up instead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF M20J HAS TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE ENTERING A PRACTICE AREA. AFTER MUCH TROUBLESHOOTING AND WX DEV HE ENTERS TFC PATTERN AND LANDS GEAR UP.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT TO THE PRACTICE AREA SW OF THE ARPT (MLB) PASSING THROUGH APPROX 3000 FT, I WAS ABOUT TO CALL FLT OPS AT THE SCHOOL TO RPT ENTERING THE AREA. I THEN NOTICED THAT MY RADIOS WERE OUT. WHILE TRYING TO GET THEM TO WORK (AND REALIZING THAT I COULDN'T), I SAW THAT I HAD COMPLETELY LOST ELECTRICAL PWR. AFTER TRYING EVERY CHKLIST, AND EVERYTHING ELSE, I SQUAWKED 7600 AND HEADED OUT OVER THE OCEAN, WHERE THERE WAS A CLR SPOT TO DSND BTWN THE CLOUDS THAT HAD FORMED AT ABOUT 1500 FT. UPON REACHING 1000 FT, I REALIZED THAT WITHOUT ELECTRICAL PWR, I COULD NOT NORMALLY LOWER THE LNDG GEAR. I HEADED BACK OVER THE OCEAN TO TROUBLESHOOT. ONCE AGAIN, I TRIED EVERY PROC AVAILABLE. AND ONCE AGAIN, NOTHING WORKED. I ENTERED MLB CLASS D AIRSPACE AND BEGAN TO CIRCLE AT 1000 FT APPROX 1/2 - 1 MI N OF THE TWR (STANDARD PROC IS TO CLB AT 1500 FT, BUT THE CLOUD LAYER WAS AT ABOUT 1300 FT). AFTER SEVERAL MINS, UNSURE OF WHETHER THE CTLRS SAW ME, I DID WHAT I JUDGED BEST, I MADE A R BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 22 (SEE BELOW). BEING TOO NERVOUS TO STABILIZE A DSCNT APCH, I WENT AROUND AND CONTINUED IN THE STANDARD L PATTERN FOR RWY 22. ON CLBOUT, I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A FLASHING GREEN LIGHT FOR APPROX 1 SECOND. IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT SIGNALS, I AGAIN DID WHAT I JUDGED BEST. I CAME BACK AGAIN AND LANDED THE PLANE GEAR UP, TOUCHING DOWN ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN AND SLIDING THE REMAINDER OF THE 3000 FT STRIP. I WALKED OUT OF THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE STAFF OF FBO FOR THEIR HELP, AND THE ADMINISTRATORS AND MY FLT INSTRUCTORS WHO TRAINED ME TO BE THE PLT I AM TODAY. WITHOUT THEM, I WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST ON THIS DAY IN MAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FLT SCHOOL REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST CONTACTED A FLT SCHOOL WHICH HAS THE SAME MODEL ACFT TO ASCERTAIN THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION PROCS FOR THE MOONEY M20J. ONE DOES EXIST AND IT IS A CABLE EXTENSION IN WHICH ONE RELEASES BRACKET AND THEN USES A TWISTING MOTION TO EXTEND THE GEAR. APPARENTLY FOR ALL HIS THANKS TO THE FLT SCHOOL AND THE INSTRUCTORS, THE RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS SYS AND MADE NO USE OF IT, LNDG GEAR UP INSTEAD.

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.