A PA28R-200T has electrical problems that make communications with ground impossible. When the elect...

Attributes
ACN	396466
Time
Date	199803
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vgt
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	396466
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a morning flight (XA30 am) to las vegas (north las vegas airport) mar/xx/98, the following occurred: north of phoenix (while in communication with phoenix approach) there was difficulty in transmitting/receiving. The clouds forced me to descend into phoenix airspace. The autoplt was not working properly and I understood approach telling me to descend below their airspace. I don't believe that I spoke with luke approach. At that point I decided to continue on to north las vegas. Radio contact was made with albuquerque and notification was made of my status and intentions. The alternator gauge showed zero. The electric load was reduced and circuit breakers checked. The alternator/master was recycled and still no power. Tried putting the gear down, no lights would work. Outside of las vegas I made contact with ZLA and notified them of my status and flight plans. The radio was turned off to save on power, was unable to communicate any more. I was unsure in using the emergency gear down procedure without indicator lights. Without communication with the tower, confirmation of gear down and locked could not be made. A one or two wheel landing was not safe. After double checking the manual (emergency procedures) the emergency gear lever was put in the override position. The passenger were informed and a gear up landing made. Perhaps the landing gear should have been extended at first sign of electrical problems in order to have gear light down indication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28R-200T HAS ELECTRICAL PROBS THAT MAKE COMS WITH GND IMPOSSIBLE. WHEN THE ELECTRICAL IS SO LOW PLT DOES NOT HAVE LIGHT INDICATIONS TO SEE IF LNDG GEAR IS DOWN AND LOCKED, PLT DECIDES TO LAND GEAR UP AT VGT, NV.

Narrative: ON A MORNING FLT (XA30 AM) TO LAS VEGAS (NORTH LAS VEGAS ARPT) MAR/XX/98, THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: N OF PHOENIX (WHILE IN COM WITH PHOENIX APCH) THERE WAS DIFFICULTY IN XMITTING/RECEIVING. THE CLOUDS FORCED ME TO DSND INTO PHOENIX AIRSPACE. THE AUTOPLT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND I UNDERSTOOD APCH TELLING ME TO DSND BELOW THEIR AIRSPACE. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I SPOKE WITH LUKE APCH. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO NORTH LAS VEGAS. RADIO CONTACT WAS MADE WITH ALBUQUERQUE AND NOTIFICATION WAS MADE OF MY STATUS AND INTENTIONS. THE ALTERNATOR GAUGE SHOWED ZERO. THE ELECTRIC LOAD WAS REDUCED AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS CHKED. THE ALTERNATOR/MASTER WAS RECYCLED AND STILL NO PWR. TRIED PUTTING THE GEAR DOWN, NO LIGHTS WOULD WORK. OUTSIDE OF LAS VEGAS I MADE CONTACT WITH ZLA AND NOTIFIED THEM OF MY STATUS AND FLT PLANS. THE RADIO WAS TURNED OFF TO SAVE ON PWR, WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE ANY MORE. I WAS UNSURE IN USING THE EMER GEAR DOWN PROC WITHOUT INDICATOR LIGHTS. WITHOUT COM WITH THE TWR, CONFIRMATION OF GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED COULD NOT BE MADE. A ONE OR TWO WHEEL LNDG WAS NOT SAFE. AFTER DOUBLE CHKING THE MANUAL (EMER PROCS) THE EMER GEAR LEVER WAS PUT IN THE OVERRIDE POS. THE PAX WERE INFORMED AND A GEAR UP LNDG MADE. PERHAPS THE LNDG GEAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED AT FIRST SIGN OF ELECTRICAL PROBS IN ORDER TO HAVE GEAR LIGHT DOWN INDICATION.

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.

A PA28R-200T has electrical problems that make communications with ground impossible. When the electrical is so low pilot does not have light indications to see if landing gear is down and locked, pilot decides to land gear up at vgt, nv.