Narrative:

The aircraft would not crank. Thought the battery was low so requested a jump start using the FBO's power cart. Started the engine and proceeded. On takeoff, upon raising the gear, suffered a complete electrical failure. Attempted to use handheld to communicate but had used up the last of the battery power earlier while obtaining my IFR clearance. Immediately turned downwind base and final. Attempted to reset circuit breakers but none were 'popped.' tried cycling the master switch to no avail. Turned final and saw that, the aircraft was on short final and appeared to be going around. Unsure of the other aircraft's path, performed a left 360 degree turn and climbed to overfly the runway at pattern altitude. Looked for light gun signals from the tower. Rejoined a normal pattern, used the emergency gear extension procedure for the piper arrow to extend the landing gear. On the second downwind, had my wife call FBO using cell phone and ask them to be a relay between us and the tower. Tower was already on the phone with FBO and they were briefly told by the FBO we had a complete electrical failure. On final, I confirmed a steady green from the tower and landed. Confirmed that my handheld transceiver's battery was dead and that was the reason I could not communicate with it. The problem was diagnosed as a failed master battery relay (contactor). The relay feeds the aircraft's 12V electrical bus. The voltage surge required by the gear motor must have finished the relay off and caused it to fail 'open' thus removing all power from the dc bus.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAS A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AFTER TKOF AND USES CELL PHONE TO COORDINATE RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: THE ACFT WOULD NOT CRANK. THOUGHT THE BATTERY WAS LOW SO REQUESTED A JUMP START USING THE FBO'S PWR CART. STARTED THE ENG AND PROCEEDED. ON TKOF, UPON RAISING THE GEAR, SUFFERED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. ATTEMPTED TO USE HANDHELD TO COMMUNICATE BUT HAD USED UP THE LAST OF THE BATTERY PWR EARLIER WHILE OBTAINING MY IFR CLRNC. IMMEDIATELY TURNED DOWNWIND BASE AND FINAL. ATTEMPTED TO RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS BUT NONE WERE 'POPPED.' TRIED CYCLING THE MASTER SWITCH TO NO AVAIL. TURNED FINAL AND SAW THAT, THE ACFT WAS ON SHORT FINAL AND APPEARED TO BE GOING AROUND. UNSURE OF THE OTHER ACFT'S PATH, PERFORMED A L 360 DEG TURN AND CLBED TO OVERFLY THE RWY AT PATTERN ALT. LOOKED FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. REJOINED A NORMAL PATTERN, USED THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC FOR THE PIPER ARROW TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR. ON THE SECOND DOWNWIND, HAD MY WIFE CALL FBO USING CELL PHONE AND ASK THEM TO BE A RELAY BTWN US AND THE TWR. TWR WAS ALREADY ON THE PHONE WITH FBO AND THEY WERE BRIEFLY TOLD BY THE FBO WE HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. ON FINAL, I CONFIRMED A STEADY GREEN FROM THE TWR AND LANDED. CONFIRMED THAT MY HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER'S BATTERY WAS DEAD AND THAT WAS THE REASON I COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH IT. THE PROB WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED MASTER BATTERY RELAY (CONTACTOR). THE RELAY FEEDS THE ACFT'S 12V ELECTRICAL BUS. THE VOLTAGE SURGE REQUIRED BY THE GEAR MOTOR MUST HAVE FINISHED THE RELAY OFF AND CAUSED IT TO FAIL 'OPEN' THUS REMOVING ALL PWR FROM THE DC BUS.

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.