Narrative:

Taxi and run-up were completed with normal indications. Upon clearance for takeoff; turned on landing lights and lined up for runway 3 departure. After airborne; retracted gear and proceeded with after takeoff check. Within a few seconds; all electrical (lights; etc) dimmed considerably. Ammeter indicated a discharge. Rechked generator switches were on and battery switch on. Cycled alternator circuit breakers in troubleshooting (breakers had not popped out but decided to pull them and reset). The left alternator breaker had no effect on diminished electrical power; however; when the right circuit breaker was pulled and reset; the cabin and panel lights lit up in full normal brightness (panel light knobs were never changed after setting them to full bright after startup on the ground). Concerned with continuing a night flight to ZZZ1 with potential electrical problems; I requested to ZZZ tower for a return to landing indicating to them I was having difficulty with my electrical system. Was still on the upwind from my departure during all of this. Towards the end of crosswind leg into the turn to downwind; all electrical system dimmed again. Again; I recycled circuit breakers several times with no luck in bringing lights back up to full brightness this time. Was cleared to land by the tower. It was clear that the lights were continuing rapidly to decrease in brightness. I lowered the gear assuming that I might not have available electrical power to complete the task further down the downwind leg. Lights were still dimming; and I lowered flaps in the pattern as normal. Each item; gear; and flaps; caused further decrease in cabin lighting. On final; the cabin lights were extremely dim. As I began flare and reduced power I heard a barely audible gear warning horn and elected to go around. At this point I had total failure of electrical system with no cabin lights; radios; navigation equipment; or navigation and landing lights. The flight instruments were difficult to see in total darkness until I could get my flashlight situated. Trimmed for climb but was unable to retract flaps (at 40 degrees as far as I could tell). After climb; established (very poor climb with full flaps and gear hanging out) I tried to contact tower with no success. Had a handheld radio which I keep in waiting and contacted tower with that. Described my problem and was cleared to circle just north of the field to try and lower the gear. I cranked the gear handle until I could not apply what felt like any more pressure. Was flying holding a flashlight the duration of the flight to illuminate panel and was concerned about airspeed with all of the drag factors; and concerned with the possibility of losing an engine with my present confign. After cranking gear handle as much as I could; I completed a fly-by of the tower for a visual of the gear. I tried to pick up as much airspeed as I could without losing too much altitude so airflow might push the nose gear back if it was not locked to aid in the tower's visual check. Tower reported '3 gear down and locked.' I had no way to determine if the gear was locked as I had no indicators with the total electrical failure. I requested on my handheld radio that the emergency equipment be called out to assist. I tried again to reset circuit breakers; battery and generator switches with no luck. Lined up for landing and trimmed for the approach. Upon retarding throttles; I moved my hands to the mixtures. As the first indication of collapsing gear was noticed; I retarded the mixtures; however; I was unable to secure completely before the propellers did strike the ground. As I slid down the runway the aircraft began to veer to the left so I applied right rudder to correct and was surprised to notice that the rudder was still effective even during the belly slide down the runway. When stopped I turned the magnetos and electrical gang-bars off and immediately evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft in case of fire (there was smoke in the cockpit after the slide came to a halt but no post-fire developed). I waited outside the aircraft for fire equipment which arrived in seconds after I exited the plane. The aspects that I consider most important to what the FAA is classifying as an incident due to no major structural damage are: 1) I always have a handheld GPS and communication radio set up for my departures with frequencys already set. 2) all training that I had in emergency gear extension was with the landing light indicator on to show down and locked. Training must include practice in what down and locked 'feels' like in case the green gear down lights do not work. 3) if system (flaps; etc) are electrical during electrical malfunctions; do not place them in full position; if possible; if that position might hinder performance of a potential missed approach. 4) for controllers to issue a 'gear down and locked' reply might give pilots an undue reassurance that the gear is ok. Would be more advisable to state 'gear appears down' and maybe to indicate that they can't determine 'locked' from the ground. 5) as students; pilots should be trained on night flying with no electrical supply and holding a flashlight while flying and performing other duties. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the landing gear is operated by the electric motors and with power lost the landing gear had to be hand cranked down. The gear was cranked until the gear crank could not be moved any further and with no indications of gear position; the gear was believed to be down and locked as confirmed by the tower fly-by. On landing; the gear collapsed incurring damage to the airplane. The FAA inspector ruled the electrical power loss was caused by a short.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C310 ON TKOF CLB AT 1000 FT DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR. ON LNDG; THE GEAR COLLAPSED INCURRING ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: TAXI AND RUN-UP WERE COMPLETED WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS. UPON CLRNC FOR TKOF; TURNED ON LNDG LIGHTS AND LINED UP FOR RWY 3 DEP. AFTER AIRBORNE; RETRACTED GEAR AND PROCEEDED WITH AFTER TKOF CHK. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS; ALL ELECTRICAL (LIGHTS; ETC) DIMMED CONSIDERABLY. AMMETER INDICATED A DISCHARGE. RECHKED GENERATOR SWITCHES WERE ON AND BATTERY SWITCH ON. CYCLED ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS IN TROUBLESHOOTING (BREAKERS HAD NOT POPPED OUT BUT DECIDED TO PULL THEM AND RESET). THE L ALTERNATOR BREAKER HAD NO EFFECT ON DIMINISHED ELECTRICAL PWR; HOWEVER; WHEN THE R CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED AND RESET; THE CABIN AND PANEL LIGHTS LIT UP IN FULL NORMAL BRIGHTNESS (PANEL LIGHT KNOBS WERE NEVER CHANGED AFTER SETTING THEM TO FULL BRIGHT AFTER STARTUP ON THE GND). CONCERNED WITH CONTINUING A NIGHT FLT TO ZZZ1 WITH POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL PROBS; I REQUESTED TO ZZZ TWR FOR A RETURN TO LNDG INDICATING TO THEM I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH MY ELECTRICAL SYS. WAS STILL ON THE UPWIND FROM MY DEP DURING ALL OF THIS. TOWARDS THE END OF XWIND LEG INTO THE TURN TO DOWNWIND; ALL ELECTRICAL SYS DIMMED AGAIN. AGAIN; I RECYCLED CIRCUIT BREAKERS SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO LUCK IN BRINGING LIGHTS BACK UP TO FULL BRIGHTNESS THIS TIME. WAS CLRED TO LAND BY THE TWR. IT WAS CLR THAT THE LIGHTS WERE CONTINUING RAPIDLY TO DECREASE IN BRIGHTNESS. I LOWERED THE GEAR ASSUMING THAT I MIGHT NOT HAVE AVAILABLE ELECTRICAL PWR TO COMPLETE THE TASK FURTHER DOWN THE DOWNWIND LEG. LIGHTS WERE STILL DIMMING; AND I LOWERED FLAPS IN THE PATTERN AS NORMAL. EACH ITEM; GEAR; AND FLAPS; CAUSED FURTHER DECREASE IN CABIN LIGHTING. ON FINAL; THE CABIN LIGHTS WERE EXTREMELY DIM. AS I BEGAN FLARE AND REDUCED PWR I HEARD A BARELY AUDIBLE GEAR WARNING HORN AND ELECTED TO GO AROUND. AT THIS POINT I HAD TOTAL FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL SYS WITH NO CABIN LIGHTS; RADIOS; NAV EQUIP; OR NAV AND LNDG LIGHTS. THE FLT INSTS WERE DIFFICULT TO SEE IN TOTAL DARKNESS UNTIL I COULD GET MY FLASHLIGHT SITUATED. TRIMMED FOR CLB BUT WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT FLAPS (AT 40 DEGS AS FAR AS I COULD TELL). AFTER CLB; ESTABLISHED (VERY POOR CLB WITH FULL FLAPS AND GEAR HANGING OUT) I TRIED TO CONTACT TWR WITH NO SUCCESS. HAD A HANDHELD RADIO WHICH I KEEP IN WAITING AND CONTACTED TWR WITH THAT. DESCRIBED MY PROB AND WAS CLRED TO CIRCLE JUST N OF THE FIELD TO TRY AND LOWER THE GEAR. I CRANKED THE GEAR HANDLE UNTIL I COULD NOT APPLY WHAT FELT LIKE ANY MORE PRESSURE. WAS FLYING HOLDING A FLASHLIGHT THE DURATION OF THE FLT TO ILLUMINATE PANEL AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT AIRSPD WITH ALL OF THE DRAG FACTORS; AND CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING AN ENG WITH MY PRESENT CONFIGN. AFTER CRANKING GEAR HANDLE AS MUCH AS I COULD; I COMPLETED A FLY-BY OF THE TWR FOR A VISUAL OF THE GEAR. I TRIED TO PICK UP AS MUCH AIRSPD AS I COULD WITHOUT LOSING TOO MUCH ALT SO AIRFLOW MIGHT PUSH THE NOSE GEAR BACK IF IT WAS NOT LOCKED TO AID IN THE TWR'S VISUAL CHK. TWR RPTED '3 GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED.' I HAD NO WAY TO DETERMINE IF THE GEAR WAS LOCKED AS I HAD NO INDICATORS WITH THE TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I REQUESTED ON MY HANDHELD RADIO THAT THE EMER EQUIP BE CALLED OUT TO ASSIST. I TRIED AGAIN TO RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS; BATTERY AND GENERATOR SWITCHES WITH NO LUCK. LINED UP FOR LNDG AND TRIMMED FOR THE APCH. UPON RETARDING THROTTLES; I MOVED MY HANDS TO THE MIXTURES. AS THE FIRST INDICATION OF COLLAPSING GEAR WAS NOTICED; I RETARDED THE MIXTURES; HOWEVER; I WAS UNABLE TO SECURE COMPLETELY BEFORE THE PROPS DID STRIKE THE GND. AS I SLID DOWN THE RWY THE ACFT BEGAN TO VEER TO THE L SO I APPLIED R RUDDER TO CORRECT AND WAS SURPRISED TO NOTICE THAT THE RUDDER WAS STILL EFFECTIVE EVEN DURING THE BELLY SLIDE DOWN THE RWY. WHEN STOPPED I TURNED THE MAGNETOS AND ELECTRICAL GANG-BARS OFF AND IMMEDIATELY EVACED THE ACFT IN CASE OF FIRE (THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AFTER THE SLIDE CAME TO A HALT BUT NO POST-FIRE DEVELOPED). I WAITED OUTSIDE THE ACFT FOR FIRE EQUIP WHICH ARRIVED IN SECONDS AFTER I EXITED THE PLANE. THE ASPECTS THAT I CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT TO WHAT THE FAA IS CLASSIFYING AS AN INCIDENT DUE TO NO MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ARE: 1) I ALWAYS HAVE A HANDHELD GPS AND COM RADIO SET UP FOR MY DEPS WITH FREQS ALREADY SET. 2) ALL TRAINING THAT I HAD IN EMER GEAR EXTENSION WAS WITH THE LNDG LIGHT INDICATOR ON TO SHOW DOWN AND LOCKED. TRAINING MUST INCLUDE PRACTICE IN WHAT DOWN AND LOCKED 'FEELS' LIKE IN CASE THE GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. 3) IF SYS (FLAPS; ETC) ARE ELECTRICAL DURING ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS; DO NOT PLACE THEM IN FULL POS; IF POSSIBLE; IF THAT POS MIGHT HINDER PERFORMANCE OF A POTENTIAL MISSED APCH. 4) FOR CTLRS TO ISSUE A 'GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED' REPLY MIGHT GIVE PLTS AN UNDUE REASSURANCE THAT THE GEAR IS OK. WOULD BE MORE ADVISABLE TO STATE 'GEAR APPEARS DOWN' AND MAYBE TO INDICATE THAT THEY CAN'T DETERMINE 'LOCKED' FROM THE GND. 5) AS STUDENTS; PLTS SHOULD BE TRAINED ON NIGHT FLYING WITH NO ELECTRICAL SUPPLY AND HOLDING A FLASHLIGHT WHILE FLYING AND PERFORMING OTHER DUTIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LNDG GEAR IS OPERATED BY THE ELECTRIC MOTORS AND WITH PWR LOST THE LNDG GEAR HAD TO BE HAND CRANKED DOWN. THE GEAR WAS CRANKED UNTIL THE GEAR CRANK COULD NOT BE MOVED ANY FURTHER AND WITH NO INDICATIONS OF GEAR POS; THE GEAR WAS BELIEVED TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED AS CONFIRMED BY THE TWR FLY-BY. ON LNDG; THE GEAR COLLAPSED INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE FAA INSPECTOR RULED THE ELECTRICAL PWR LOSS WAS CAUSED BY A SHORT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.