Narrative:

I checked the WX once again; filed a flight plan on duats and headed back to lgb. I did a full preflight and run-up. Aside from the placarded instruments; everything else seemed to be working fine and I decided to proceed with my trip. Long beach clearance delivery could not pull up my flight plan and suggested tower en route towards santa barbara; and I accepted the clearance. The flight proceeded without incident until 5 or 10 mins south of the ventura VOR when I noticed that my #1 VOR and the associated DME had failed. This problem had occurred in this aircraft a few times during my flight training; had been intermittent at times with the localizer working but not the GS; etc. I checked and everything else was working at the time; circuit breakers were all in; ammeter was working. I tried turning the avionics switch off and back on and did not see a change in the VOR or DME. Before reaching ventura; I requested a deviation towards gorman and the valley but the controller told me they would be unable to send me there; and suggested direct towards paso robles. I did not sense an emergency at that time; accepted the heading and continued trying to make the VOR work. I checked all the fuses; the ammeter and all the switches. I checked all circuit breakers; recycled the avionics; master; alternator; collision light switches; etc; but to no avail. Then; well north of ventura; now in pitch black darkness; to my surprise; I lost the second VOR as well. I concentrated on maintaining my heading; made another check to make sure that the avionics switch was in the proper location and now realized that I would probably not have either VOR for the rest of the trip. I tried to call ATC but could not transmit. A few mins later I heard ATC calling me; and asking another aircraft to call me; but I could not reach them. I heard ATC ask me to identify if I could hear them. I placed 7700 on the transponder (I realized after I landed that 7600 was the lost communication frequency) and pressed the identify button. Realizing that I was over mountainous terrain with few airports; I decided to deviate from my ATC flight plan and headed east towards the valley; reasoning that I was more familiar with the terrain over the valley; knew there were multiple airports along the valley; and worse-come-to-worse; a forced landing would be safer over agricultural areas than over the mountains. I focused on flying the airplane; saw the lights of bakersfield and headed towards the south end of town towards L45 so as to stay away from the bfl traffic as I could not transmit on my radio. I saw the rotating beacon and headed for the south end of the field; lining up with runway 34. I did not see any other traffic in the vicinity and decided to land. I went through my pre-landing checklist; gumps; both fuel tanks and electric fuel pumps were on; pressed the gear lever down; mixture full forward; propellers forward and landing lights on. I knew that the radio/VOR's were not working but some of the panel lights were functioning; I could still hear ATC xmissions and I did not realize that I had a near total electrical failure and that the gear had not come down -- I was so focused on flying the airplane and did not pull the emergency gear extension lever. I landed on the centerline and came to a relatively smooth but rather sudden stop; and realized I had landed gear up. I turned off all the switches and exited the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA44 PLT HAS LOSS OF ELECTRIC PWR; EXECUTES A GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: I CHKED THE WX ONCE AGAIN; FILED A FLT PLAN ON DUATS AND HEADED BACK TO LGB. I DID A FULL PREFLT AND RUN-UP. ASIDE FROM THE PLACARDED INSTS; EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE AND I DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH MY TRIP. LONG BEACH CLRNC DELIVERY COULD NOT PULL UP MY FLT PLAN AND SUGGESTED TWR ENRTE TOWARDS SANTA BARBARA; AND I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL 5 OR 10 MINS S OF THE VENTURA VOR WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY #1 VOR AND THE ASSOCIATED DME HAD FAILED. THIS PROB HAD OCCURRED IN THIS ACFT A FEW TIMES DURING MY FLT TRAINING; HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT AT TIMES WITH THE LOC WORKING BUT NOT THE GS; ETC. I CHKED AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS WORKING AT THE TIME; CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE ALL IN; AMMETER WAS WORKING. I TRIED TURNING THE AVIONICS SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON AND DID NOT SEE A CHANGE IN THE VOR OR DME. BEFORE REACHING VENTURA; I REQUESTED A DEV TOWARDS GORMAN AND THE VALLEY BUT THE CTLR TOLD ME THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO SEND ME THERE; AND SUGGESTED DIRECT TOWARDS PASO ROBLES. I DID NOT SENSE AN EMER AT THAT TIME; ACCEPTED THE HDG AND CONTINUED TRYING TO MAKE THE VOR WORK. I CHKED ALL THE FUSES; THE AMMETER AND ALL THE SWITCHES. I CHKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS; RECYCLED THE AVIONICS; MASTER; ALTERNATOR; COLLISION LIGHT SWITCHES; ETC; BUT TO NO AVAIL. THEN; WELL N OF VENTURA; NOW IN PITCH BLACK DARKNESS; TO MY SURPRISE; I LOST THE SECOND VOR AS WELL. I CONCENTRATED ON MAINTAINING MY HDG; MADE ANOTHER CHK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AVIONICS SWITCH WAS IN THE PROPER LOCATION AND NOW REALIZED THAT I WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE EITHER VOR FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. I TRIED TO CALL ATC BUT COULD NOT XMIT. A FEW MINS LATER I HEARD ATC CALLING ME; AND ASKING ANOTHER ACFT TO CALL ME; BUT I COULD NOT REACH THEM. I HEARD ATC ASK ME TO IDENT IF I COULD HEAR THEM. I PLACED 7700 ON THE XPONDER (I REALIZED AFTER I LANDED THAT 7600 WAS THE LOST COM FREQ) AND PRESSED THE IDENT BUTTON. REALIZING THAT I WAS OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WITH FEW ARPTS; I DECIDED TO DEVIATE FROM MY ATC FLT PLAN AND HEADED E TOWARDS THE VALLEY; REASONING THAT I WAS MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN OVER THE VALLEY; KNEW THERE WERE MULTIPLE ARPTS ALONG THE VALLEY; AND WORSE-COME-TO-WORSE; A FORCED LNDG WOULD BE SAFER OVER AGRICULTURAL AREAS THAN OVER THE MOUNTAINS. I FOCUSED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE; SAW THE LIGHTS OF BAKERSFIELD AND HEADED TOWARDS THE S END OF TOWN TOWARDS L45 SO AS TO STAY AWAY FROM THE BFL TFC AS I COULD NOT XMIT ON MY RADIO. I SAW THE ROTATING BEACON AND HEADED FOR THE S END OF THE FIELD; LINING UP WITH RWY 34. I DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER TFC IN THE VICINITY AND DECIDED TO LAND. I WENT THROUGH MY PRE-LNDG CHKLIST; GUMPS; BOTH FUEL TANKS AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS WERE ON; PRESSED THE GEAR LEVER DOWN; MIXTURE FULL FORWARD; PROPS FORWARD AND LNDG LIGHTS ON. I KNEW THAT THE RADIO/VOR'S WERE NOT WORKING BUT SOME OF THE PANEL LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONING; I COULD STILL HEAR ATC XMISSIONS AND I DID NOT REALIZE THAT I HAD A NEAR TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND THAT THE GEAR HAD NOT COME DOWN -- I WAS SO FOCUSED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND DID NOT PULL THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER. I LANDED ON THE CTRLINE AND CAME TO A RELATIVELY SMOOTH BUT RATHER SUDDEN STOP; AND REALIZED I HAD LANDED GEAR UP. I TURNED OFF ALL THE SWITCHES AND EXITED THE ACFT.

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.