Narrative:

While on a day VFR pleasure flight, the landing gear failed to extend. Recycling the gear handle did not help. I pulled the breaker and pumped gear down manually. Panel lights began flashing and I had buzzing in my headset. I shut down the avionics after attempting to call the class D tower without success, could also not receive ATIS. In so doing, my model C transponder became inoperative and I was within the 30 mi radius in which it is required. But I had no gear down light and wanted tower to visually verify the nose gear position, so I used my hand-held transceiver to reach them and in so doing may have entered class D before establishing 2-WAY communications. I took these actions to determine whether the gear was down before landing. The tower said the gear looked normal on low pass fly-by, but I accepted their offer to have emergency equipment standing by. While trying to fly the airplane and communicate with my hand-held, I may not have properly acknowledged all of the tower communications. When the equipment was in position, I accepted my landing clearance and landed without incident. I was asked to call the tower, and visited instead and helped the supervisor fill-out an accident/incident form. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the loss of electrical power was caused by a loose lug on the alternator that arced and ultimately melted. The reporter stressed the need to carry a hand-held transmitter from which tower communication was established.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA 182RG AT 2200 FT DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO UNABLE TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR NORMALLY. GEAR MANUALLY EXTENDED. PROB CAUSED BY LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR.

Narrative: WHILE ON A DAY VFR PLEASURE FLT, THE LNDG GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. RECYCLING THE GEAR HANDLE DID NOT HELP. I PULLED THE BREAKER AND PUMPED GEAR DOWN MANUALLY. PANEL LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING AND I HAD BUZZING IN MY HEADSET. I SHUT DOWN THE AVIONICS AFTER ATTEMPTING TO CALL THE CLASS D TWR WITHOUT SUCCESS, COULD ALSO NOT RECEIVE ATIS. IN SO DOING, MY MODEL C XPONDER BECAME INOP AND I WAS WITHIN THE 30 MI RADIUS IN WHICH IT IS REQUIRED. BUT I HAD NO GEAR DOWN LIGHT AND WANTED TWR TO VISUALLY VERIFY THE NOSE GEAR POS, SO I USED MY HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER TO REACH THEM AND IN SO DOING MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS D BEFORE ESTABLISHING 2-WAY COMS. I TOOK THESE ACTIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE GEAR WAS DOWN BEFORE LNDG. THE TWR SAID THE GEAR LOOKED NORMAL ON LOW PASS FLY-BY, BUT I ACCEPTED THEIR OFFER TO HAVE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY. WHILE TRYING TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND COMMUNICATE WITH MY HAND-HELD, I MAY NOT HAVE PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGED ALL OF THE TWR COMS. WHEN THE EQUIP WAS IN POS, I ACCEPTED MY LNDG CLRNC AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR, AND VISITED INSTEAD AND HELPED THE SUPVR FILL-OUT AN ACCIDENT/INCIDENT FORM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WAS CAUSED BY A LOOSE LUG ON THE ALTERNATOR THAT ARCED AND ULTIMATELY MELTED. THE RPTR STRESSED THE NEED TO CARRY A HAND-HELD XMITTER FROM WHICH TWR COM WAS ESTABLISHED.

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.