Narrative:

Immediately after departing from ZZZ runway 35; the aircraft had a complete electrical failure. Communications and the aircraft's transponder signal were lost. I immediately squawked 7700 and leveled off at the last assigned altitude 3500 ft MSL. After leaving ZZZ1 airspace I flew to ZZZ2 airport and circled nearby while troubleshooting the situation. Electrical power was restored after the emergency gear down checklist. As the gear came down and locked the electrical power came back on. I immediately contacted ZZZ3 approach and informed them of my situation and declared an urgent situation. I was told that if I lost communication again that I was cleared to land runway 17 and was immediately cleared for a low approach on runway 17 in order to verify the position of the gear. Tower verified that gear was down and cleared me to perform a teardrop entry to the final approach for runway 35. Once established on final I was cleared to land runway 35. I then landed without incident and taxied to parking under my own power. After landing I gave the required information to the crash team and contacted both ZZZ2 and ZZZ1 towers and informed them as to what had happened. I believe that the maintenance that had just been performed on the aircraft may have caused the electrical failure as this was the first flight after the replacement of the aircraft starter. The failure occurred after the fuel pump was turned off as the after takeoff checklist called for. When the fuel pump was switched back on; the power would flash on in off for about 1/2 a second repeatedly. The gear coming down somehow restored electrical power which I believe must have jared a wire or connection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL FAILURE ENCOUNTERED ON PA 28. PLT DECLARED EMER AFTER POWER BRIEFLY RESTORED AND WAS CLEARED FOR LOW APCH TO VERIFY GEAR DOWN; AND PLT RETURNED FOR SUCCESSFUL LNDG.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEPARTING FROM ZZZ RWY 35; THE ACFT HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. COMS AND THE ACFT'S XPONDER SIGNAL WERE LOST. I IMMEDIATELY SQUAWKED 7700 AND LEVELED OFF AT THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT 3500 FT MSL. AFTER LEAVING ZZZ1 AIRSPACE I FLEW TO ZZZ2 ARPT AND CIRCLED NEARBY WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING THE SIT. ELECTRICAL PWR WAS RESTORED AFTER THE EMER GEAR DOWN CHKLIST. AS THE GEAR CAME DOWN AND LOCKED THE ELECTRICAL PWR CAME BACK ON. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ZZZ3 APCH AND INFORMED THEM OF MY SIT AND DECLARED AN URGENT SIT. I WAS TOLD THAT IF I LOST COM AGAIN THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 17 AND WAS IMMEDIATELY CLRED FOR A LOW APCH ON RWY 17 IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE POS OF THE GEAR. TWR VERIFIED THAT GEAR WAS DOWN AND CLRED ME TO PERFORM A TEARDROP ENTRY TO THE FINAL APCH FOR RWY 35. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 35. I THEN LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO PARKING UNDER MY OWN PWR. AFTER LNDG I GAVE THE REQUIRED INFO TO THE CRASH TEAM AND CONTACTED BOTH ZZZ2 AND ZZZ1 TWRS AND INFORMED THEM AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I BELIEVE THAT THE MAINT THAT HAD JUST BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ACFT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AS THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT AFTER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ACFT STARTER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE FUEL PUMP WAS TURNED OFF AS THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST CALLED FOR. WHEN THE FUEL PUMP WAS SWITCHED BACK ON; THE PWR WOULD FLASH ON IN OFF FOR ABOUT 1/2 A SECOND REPEATEDLY. THE GEAR COMING DOWN SOMEHOW RESTORED ELECTRICAL PWR WHICH I BELIEVE MUST HAVE JARED A WIRE OR CONNECTION.

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.