Narrative:

Start-up and departure went well until about 2/3 into the flight when the amps bottoms out and the voltage started to drop. Voltage began dropping more quickly and I contacted ATC about losing radios and electrical power; switched transponder to 7600 (but it probably did not produce any signal). Last contact with ATC was for a normal descent to ZZZ. Gear override was used 6-7 mi from the field and the drag felt normal. The plane was yawed during this procedure and after. Called ZZZ unicom for information; but no answer returned and no local traffic replied. Either the handheld radio was weak or no one could hear me. Made the calls routinely through the downwind leg. All the power was lost a month ago in the same way (alternator was then replaced; voltage regulator and battery cable as well); the procedure to drop the gear manually was used at that time successfully. In this case; the landing was normal until the touchdown of the main gear and the wrong noise was noted. Power was applied as the propeller touched (either just before or just after) the tarmac. Oil pressure was in the green; the plane had lift; but not nearly as quick as normal. The manual override lever was pulled up again as soon as comfortable flight control was regained with altitude. Another aircraft heard my calls as I re-entered the pattern for a fly-by. Unicom also heard and informed me that the gear was down when asked by me. The aircraft came in for a normal final and taxied to the main hangar. The propeller was bent considerably at the tips; oil was leaking from the cowling onto the ground. The main wheels show scuffs on the sidewalls which indicate that they were not fully extended. Either the landing or the extra effort on the manual override finally loosened up the gear again to full extension. If I had it to do over again; and the handheld radio still had no responses; I would have tried to use my cell phone to contact unicom for a visual. There were no shadows from the sun in the area. If the gear was still up at that point; other means for deploying the gear would have been necessary; but in this case; it did not seem necessary based on the successful landing in feb/08 when the all power was lost the last time and the same procedure was followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT REPORTS ELECTRICAL FAILURE REQUIRING MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION. SCRAPING NOISES PROMPT GAR AND SECOND ATTEMPT AT GEAR EXTENSION; WHICH IS SUCCESSFUL.

Narrative: START-UP AND DEP WENT WELL UNTIL ABOUT 2/3 INTO THE FLT WHEN THE AMPS BOTTOMS OUT AND THE VOLTAGE STARTED TO DROP. VOLTAGE BEGAN DROPPING MORE QUICKLY AND I CONTACTED ATC ABOUT LOSING RADIOS AND ELECTRICAL PWR; SWITCHED XPONDER TO 7600 (BUT IT PROBABLY DID NOT PRODUCE ANY SIGNAL). LAST CONTACT WITH ATC WAS FOR A NORMAL DSCNT TO ZZZ. GEAR OVERRIDE WAS USED 6-7 MI FROM THE FIELD AND THE DRAG FELT NORMAL. THE PLANE WAS YAWED DURING THIS PROC AND AFTER. CALLED ZZZ UNICOM FOR INFO; BUT NO ANSWER RETURNED AND NO LCL TFC REPLIED. EITHER THE HANDHELD RADIO WAS WEAK OR NO ONE COULD HEAR ME. MADE THE CALLS ROUTINELY THROUGH THE DOWNWIND LEG. ALL THE PWR WAS LOST A MONTH AGO IN THE SAME WAY (ALTERNATOR WAS THEN REPLACED; VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND BATTERY CABLE AS WELL); THE PROC TO DROP THE GEAR MANUALLY WAS USED AT THAT TIME SUCCESSFULLY. IN THIS CASE; THE LNDG WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE TOUCHDOWN OF THE MAIN GEAR AND THE WRONG NOISE WAS NOTED. PWR WAS APPLIED AS THE PROP TOUCHED (EITHER JUST BEFORE OR JUST AFTER) THE TARMAC. OIL PRESSURE WAS IN THE GREEN; THE PLANE HAD LIFT; BUT NOT NEARLY AS QUICK AS NORMAL. THE MANUAL OVERRIDE LEVER WAS PULLED UP AGAIN AS SOON AS COMFORTABLE FLT CTL WAS REGAINED WITH ALT. ANOTHER ACFT HEARD MY CALLS AS I RE-ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR A FLY-BY. UNICOM ALSO HEARD AND INFORMED ME THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN WHEN ASKED BY ME. THE ACFT CAME IN FOR A NORMAL FINAL AND TAXIED TO THE MAIN HANGAR. THE PROP WAS BENT CONSIDERABLY AT THE TIPS; OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE COWLING ONTO THE GND. THE MAIN WHEELS SHOW SCUFFS ON THE SIDEWALLS WHICH INDICATE THAT THEY WERE NOT FULLY EXTENDED. EITHER THE LNDG OR THE EXTRA EFFORT ON THE MANUAL OVERRIDE FINALLY LOOSENED UP THE GEAR AGAIN TO FULL EXTENSION. IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN; AND THE HANDHELD RADIO STILL HAD NO RESPONSES; I WOULD HAVE TRIED TO USE MY CELL PHONE TO CONTACT UNICOM FOR A VISUAL. THERE WERE NO SHADOWS FROM THE SUN IN THE AREA. IF THE GEAR WAS STILL UP AT THAT POINT; OTHER MEANS FOR DEPLOYING THE GEAR WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY; BUT IN THIS CASE; IT DID NOT SEEM NECESSARY BASED ON THE SUCCESSFUL LNDG IN FEB/08 WHEN THE ALL PWR WAS LOST THE LAST TIME AND THE SAME PROC WAS FOLLOWED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.