Pilot of a piper 300T saratoga lost all electrical power about 5 mi out for landing and found that t...

Attributes
ACN	380979
Time
Date	199709
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lbb
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 5 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lbb
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 1420 flight time type : 28
ASRS Report	380979
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Loss of electrical power became obvious approximately 5 mi from airport. I had a loss of radio communication with the tower and loss of lighting in cockpit. Gear switch was placed in down position but no gear down indicator lights appeared due to loss of electrical power. Upon contact with the runway by the step, attached to the airplane, I gave full power to the airplane, climbed to a safe altitude, extended the gear manually, and landed successfully. I believe the gear, which are hydraulic, would not actuate because the switch is electric. In case I ever have another loss of electrical power, I intend to manually extend the gear before I make an initial approach. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the problem turned out to be a broken alternator belt which drives the alternator and is difficult to observe during preflight. He now knows that the hydraulic pump for the gear is driven by an electrical motor in addition to the electrical switch causing the need to manually pump the gear down. The reason that the electrical problem was not observed sooner was the flight started in daylight and the battery had sufficient charge to use until flying into darkness when more electrical power helped drain the battery.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER 300T SARATOGA LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR ABOUT 5 MI OUT FOR LNDG AND FOUND THAT THE GEAR HAD NOT EXTENDED DURING LNDG FLARE WHEN THE CABIN ENTRANCE STEP WAS HEARD STRIKING THE RWY. A SUCCESSFUL GAR WAS MADE AND THE GEAR MANUALLY PUMPED DOWN FOR THE SECOND ATTEMPTED LNDG.

Narrative: LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR BECAME OBVIOUS APPROX 5 MI FROM ARPT. I HAD A LOSS OF RADIO COM WITH THE TWR AND LOSS OF LIGHTING IN COCKPIT. GEAR SWITCH WAS PLACED IN DOWN POS BUT NO GEAR DOWN INDICATOR LIGHTS APPEARED DUE TO LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR. UPON CONTACT WITH THE RWY BY THE STEP, ATTACHED TO THE AIRPLANE, I GAVE FULL PWR TO THE AIRPLANE, CLBED TO A SAFE ALT, EXTENDED THE GEAR MANUALLY, AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY. I BELIEVE THE GEAR, WHICH ARE HYD, WOULD NOT ACTUATE BECAUSE THE SWITCH IS ELECTRIC. IN CASE I EVER HAVE ANOTHER LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR, I INTEND TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE GEAR BEFORE I MAKE AN INITIAL APCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PROB TURNED OUT TO BE A BROKEN ALTERNATOR BELT WHICH DRIVES THE ALTERNATOR AND IS DIFFICULT TO OBSERVE DURING PREFLT. HE NOW KNOWS THAT THE HYD PUMP FOR THE GEAR IS DRIVEN BY AN ELECTRICAL MOTOR IN ADDITION TO THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH CAUSING THE NEED TO MANUALLY PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. THE REASON THAT THE ELECTRICAL PROB WAS NOT OBSERVED SOONER WAS THE FLT STARTED IN DAYLIGHT AND THE BATTERY HAD SUFFICIENT CHARGE TO USE UNTIL FLYING INTO DARKNESS WHEN MORE ELECTRICAL PWR HELPED DRAIN THE BATTERY.

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.