Narrative:

Approximately XA00, oct/sat/00, with an avionics professional in the right seat, our plans were to check out the autoplt which had been a bit problematic. In a normal departure off runway 17R at colorado springs municipal, about 1-2 mi off the end, I attempted to get departure control, as it seemed a bit longer than usual in their communication. (We had been cleared prior to taxi for the 'east' practice area which is east of the airport.) just at that time, and probably as I retracted the gear, the entire electrical system failed. I attempted to recycle the avionics, but soon realized all the electrical was gone. Told my passenger to watch for aircraft in the pattern, as I would do also, and to pump the gear down while I set up for landing. I assumed that when all electrical was gone, my transponder had failed and they would be looking for me in the pattern. I turned easterly about 090 degree heading and then entered the left downwind (now traveling north) in a normal fashion which put me about 1 mi east of runway 17L. I saw a commercial jet coming in from the northeast and determined I would stay at 7500 ft as always advised crossing approach end of runway 17L and followed behind the jet. He was landing runway 17L. I proceeded westerly and set up for landing on runway 17R, no flaps, gear hand pumped down. About 1 1/2 mi from approach end of runway, saw 1 aircraft rolling down runway, another holding in position on the runway. Aborted, turned westerly, then northerly, watching for aircraft. Attempted to set up again and saw, coming from the north and about 2 mi, a bizjet, landing lights on, apparently on the GS on runway 17R. (Never in our approach attempts did we see emergency landing beacons.) I turned the aircraft east, staying north of and between the parallel runways. The bizjet landed. We checked for more incoming aircraft approaching from the north, there being none, we set up for the landing on runway 17R again. My passenger pumped the gear a few more times, we landed clean in a strong south wind. I taxied off the runway at the first opportunity. I think it was A-2. Checked for aircraft and taxied south to our FBO. (It is my impression that they never even saw us land or taxi!) immediately telephoned tower. He asked if we were all ok as they were worried about us. TRACON called a few mins later and asked me to describe the entire procedure, estimating where I was at each point, where I turned, how far I traveled, etc. It then became apparent to me and my passenger that tower never saw us at all, and we were never more than 1-2 mi from any runway and we were always in the pattern. TRACON told me they called fort carson airfield which is about 5 mi south and asked them to look for us. My aircraft is a centurion T210. Conclusion: had tower and TRACON communicated, they might have looked outside with binoculars to see me in the close pattern, held other traffic off runway and GS until I landed. That said, they relied upon transponder and assumed I was 'down.' amazing they didn't see me land! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that the engine starter did not disengage after engine start. When the gear was retracted, two high draw electrical loads were more than the aircraft generator and battery could handle. Complete failure resulted. The aircraft generator ammeter is not wired through the starter because of the high current draw. There would be no way for the pilot to tell the starter was still cranking. Pilot recently went to refresher training and discovered they now are using the same scenario she had.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 HAD COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN COS CLASS C.

Narrative: APPROX XA00, OCT/SAT/00, WITH AN AVIONICS PROFESSIONAL IN THE R SEAT, OUR PLANS WERE TO CHK OUT THE AUTOPLT WHICH HAD BEEN A BIT PROBLEMATIC. IN A NORMAL DEP OFF RWY 17R AT COLORADO SPRINGS MUNICIPAL, ABOUT 1-2 MI OFF THE END, I ATTEMPTED TO GET DEP CTL, AS IT SEEMED A BIT LONGER THAN USUAL IN THEIR COM. (WE HAD BEEN CLRED PRIOR TO TAXI FOR THE 'E' PRACTICE AREA WHICH IS E OF THE ARPT.) JUST AT THAT TIME, AND PROBABLY AS I RETRACTED THE GEAR, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYS FAILED. I ATTEMPTED TO RECYCLE THE AVIONICS, BUT SOON REALIZED ALL THE ELECTRICAL WAS GONE. TOLD MY PAX TO WATCH FOR ACFT IN THE PATTERN, AS I WOULD DO ALSO, AND TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN WHILE I SET UP FOR LNDG. I ASSUMED THAT WHEN ALL ELECTRICAL WAS GONE, MY XPONDER HAD FAILED AND THEY WOULD BE LOOKING FOR ME IN THE PATTERN. I TURNED EASTERLY ABOUT 090 DEG HDG AND THEN ENTERED THE L DOWNWIND (NOW TRAVELING N) IN A NORMAL FASHION WHICH PUT ME ABOUT 1 MI E OF RWY 17L. I SAW A COMMERCIAL JET COMING IN FROM THE NE AND DETERMINED I WOULD STAY AT 7500 FT AS ALWAYS ADVISED XING APCH END OF RWY 17L AND FOLLOWED BEHIND THE JET. HE WAS LNDG RWY 17L. I PROCEEDED WESTERLY AND SET UP FOR LNDG ON RWY 17R, NO FLAPS, GEAR HAND PUMPED DOWN. ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FROM APCH END OF RWY, SAW 1 ACFT ROLLING DOWN RWY, ANOTHER HOLDING IN POS ON THE RWY. ABORTED, TURNED WESTERLY, THEN NORTHERLY, WATCHING FOR ACFT. ATTEMPTED TO SET UP AGAIN AND SAW, COMING FROM THE N AND ABOUT 2 MI, A BIZJET, LNDG LIGHTS ON, APPARENTLY ON THE GS ON RWY 17R. (NEVER IN OUR APCH ATTEMPTS DID WE SEE EMER LNDG BEACONS.) I TURNED THE ACFT E, STAYING N OF AND BTWN THE PARALLEL RWYS. THE BIZJET LANDED. WE CHKED FOR MORE INCOMING ACFT APCHING FROM THE N, THERE BEING NONE, WE SET UP FOR THE LNDG ON RWY 17R AGAIN. MY PAX PUMPED THE GEAR A FEW MORE TIMES, WE LANDED CLEAN IN A STRONG S WIND. I TAXIED OFF THE RWY AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY. I THINK IT WAS A-2. CHKED FOR ACFT AND TAXIED S TO OUR FBO. (IT IS MY IMPRESSION THAT THEY NEVER EVEN SAW US LAND OR TAXI!) IMMEDIATELY TELEPHONED TWR. HE ASKED IF WE WERE ALL OK AS THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT US. TRACON CALLED A FEW MINS LATER AND ASKED ME TO DESCRIBE THE ENTIRE PROC, ESTIMATING WHERE I WAS AT EACH POINT, WHERE I TURNED, HOW FAR I TRAVELED, ETC. IT THEN BECAME APPARENT TO ME AND MY PAX THAT TWR NEVER SAW US AT ALL, AND WE WERE NEVER MORE THAN 1-2 MI FROM ANY RWY AND WE WERE ALWAYS IN THE PATTERN. TRACON TOLD ME THEY CALLED FORT CARSON AIRFIELD WHICH IS ABOUT 5 MI S AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK FOR US. MY ACFT IS A CENTURION T210. CONCLUSION: HAD TWR AND TRACON COMMUNICATED, THEY MIGHT HAVE LOOKED OUTSIDE WITH BINOCULARS TO SEE ME IN THE CLOSE PATTERN, HELD OTHER TFC OFF RWY AND GS UNTIL I LANDED. THAT SAID, THEY RELIED UPON XPONDER AND ASSUMED I WAS 'DOWN.' AMAZING THEY DIDN'T SEE ME LAND! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE ENG STARTER DID NOT DISENGAGE AFTER ENG START. WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, TWO HIGH DRAW ELECTRICAL LOADS WERE MORE THAN THE ACFT GENERATOR AND BATTERY COULD HANDLE. COMPLETE FAILURE RESULTED. THE ACFT GENERATOR AMMETER IS NOT WIRED THROUGH THE STARTER BECAUSE OF THE HIGH CURRENT DRAW. THERE WOULD BE NO WAY FOR THE PLT TO TELL THE STARTER WAS STILL CRANKING. PLT RECENTLY WENT TO REFRESHER TRAINING AND DISCOVERED THEY NOW ARE USING THE SAME SCENARIO SHE HAD.

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.