A piper arrow ATP pilot performs an emergency extension of his landing gear prior to making a NORDO ...

Attributes
ACN	471588
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sba.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sba.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	471588
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : alft lights other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was flying a piper arrow. The flight originated at cma at XY30 pm. A preflight was conducted and no discrepancies were found. I departed cma en route to sba. While en route I received ATIS and contacted sba approach. I then set in my squawk code. I then called approach. They said your radio is weak. I tried another radio. The lights started getting dimmer. I then turned off all extra electrical equipment and recycled alternator and checked all circuit breakers. I checked the ammeter output, nothing was indicated, turned off alternator and called approach and said my radios are getting weak. They said go to tower and we will let them know of your situation you're cleared to land. I switched to tower my radio was still weak. I went through the landing checklist, selected gear down. I saw no lights in the cockpit. I then performed emergency gear down checklist. I called tower, my radio was too weak to transmit. All lights were out and I was unable to communicate with the tower when I landed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER ARROW ATP PLT PERFORMS AN EMER EXTENSION OF HIS LNDG GEAR PRIOR TO MAKING A NORDO APCH TO SBA, CA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A PIPER ARROW. THE FLT ORIGINATED AT CMA AT XY30 PM. A PREFLT WAS CONDUCTED AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. I DEPARTED CMA ENRTE TO SBA. WHILE ENRTE I RECEIVED ATIS AND CONTACTED SBA APCH. I THEN SET IN MY SQUAWK CODE. I THEN CALLED APCH. THEY SAID YOUR RADIO IS WEAK. I TRIED ANOTHER RADIO. THE LIGHTS STARTED GETTING DIMMER. I THEN TURNED OFF ALL EXTRA ELECTRICAL EQUIP AND RECYCLED ALTERNATOR AND CHKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS. I CHKED THE AMMETER OUTPUT, NOTHING WAS INDICATED, TURNED OFF ALTERNATOR AND CALLED APCH AND SAID MY RADIOS ARE GETTING WEAK. THEY SAID GO TO TWR AND WE WILL LET THEM KNOW OF YOUR SIT YOU'RE CLRED TO LAND. I SWITCHED TO TWR MY RADIO WAS STILL WEAK. I WENT THROUGH THE LNDG CHKLIST, SELECTED GEAR DOWN. I SAW NO LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT. I THEN PERFORMED EMER GEAR DOWN CHKLIST. I CALLED TWR, MY RADIO WAS TOO WEAK TO XMIT. ALL LIGHTS WERE OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TWR WHEN I LANDED.

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 piper arrow ATP pilot performs an emergency extension of his landing gear prior to making a NORDO approach to sba, ca.