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After a complete electrical failure and being unable to lower the landing gear in a PA24-250 a successful gear up landing was made.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 534999 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200201 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : fsm.airport |
| State Reference | AR |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : srq.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-24 Turbo Comanche |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time total : 186 flight time type : 87 |
| ASRS Report | 534999 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters : gear up landing non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Airport ATC Human Performance ATC Facility |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I had a total electrical failure, losing both navs, communications and lighting. An attempt to lower the gear electrically and manually failed. I had to enter class D airspace and land gear up. I entered the pattern, flew by the tower twice, hoping to get a green light signal concerning my gear. I got no tower response and decided to land, not knowing my gear status. It was a successful gear up landing with no injuries. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this was a rental aircraft. The alternator was determined to be the cause of the electrical failure. The gear was partially extended. Once the aircraft was lifted, it was difficult to get the gear extended manually. The reporter was unable to activate the manual release lever for the gear in-flight. The FBO observed the 2 passes over the field but there was no acknowledgement from the tower. It took 15 mins or more for the crash fire rescue equipment to arrive at the scene. The reporter used a cell phone after the landing to call for help. It had been inaccessible in-flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AFTER A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND BEING UNABLE TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR IN A PA24-250 A SUCCESSFUL GEAR UP LNDG WAS MADE.
Narrative: I HAD A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, LOSING BOTH NAVS, COMS AND LIGHTING. AN ATTEMPT TO LOWER THE GEAR ELECTRICALLY AND MANUALLY FAILED. I HAD TO ENTER CLASS D AIRSPACE AND LAND GEAR UP. I ENTERED THE PATTERN, FLEW BY THE TWR TWICE, HOPING TO GET A GREEN LIGHT SIGNAL CONCERNING MY GEAR. I GOT NO TWR RESPONSE AND DECIDED TO LAND, NOT KNOWING MY GEAR STATUS. IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL GEAR UP LNDG WITH NO INJURIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS WAS A RENTAL ACFT. THE ALTERNATOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED. ONCE THE ACFT WAS LIFTED, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET THE GEAR EXTENDED MANUALLY. THE RPTR WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE MANUAL RELEASE LEVER FOR THE GEAR INFLT. THE FBO OBSERVED THE 2 PASSES OVER THE FIELD BUT THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE TWR. IT TOOK 15 MINS OR MORE FOR THE CFR TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE. THE RPTR USED A CELL PHONE AFTER THE LNDG TO CALL FOR HELP. IT HAD BEEN INACCESSIBLE INFLT.
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.