Narrative:

After departing lwb I noticed the alternator meter was showing a discharge. I turned off the #2 radio and DME. I attempted to contact ZDC in the air for my IFR clearance to crw, my home base. Flight conditions were clear with 20 mi visibility. The radio initially had a lot of static and then I could not hear anything from the intercom headphones. I then turned off the #1 radio, transponder, intercom system, and external lights. I was then able to contact ZDC with my handheld transceiver connected to an external antenna. I received my IFR clearance and also informed ZDC of my alternator failure. Center gave me a vector straight for crw. I was then handed off to crw approach. It was now dark and I was using a flashlight with a red beam to read the instruments. I could see crw at about 20 mi. I opened the pilot's operating handbook and read the section on alternator failure, which simply stated to turn the alternator switch off and to use only necessary electrical instruments. I was concerned that the landing gear may not go down. I read the section in the poh on how to manually extend the landing gear. At about 10-15 mi from crw I turned the alternator switch to the 'on' position. I then put the landing gear handle in the down position. At that time I felt what I thought was the landing gear going into the down position. However, the 3 green lights on the panel did not come on. I then turned the panel light switch on, but there were no instrument lights. I thought about using the manual gear extension system, but decided not to do so because I had felt the landing gear go down and was unsure if releasing the hydraulic pressure on the gear, with the gear supposedly down, would cause the landing gear to be in an unsafe condition. I was cleared by the crw tower to land on runway 33. Since there was a full moon and lights on the airport, I could see the surface of the runway. I made a normal approach and flare, but then heard the sound of grinding metal. The airplane slid gently onto the runway and remained in the center of the runway. At this time I thought that the landing gear had collapsed. After turning off the ignition switch and putting the fuel selector switch in the off position, the passenger and I exited the airplane. I then examined the landing gear and determined that the gear had never dropped down. The incident occurred due to alternator failure and subsequent loss of all electrical systems at night, in addition to my failure to manually extend the landing gear. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he should have known to try manual system anyway. If gear was down and locked he would not have retracted in his attempt to use the manual extension. Handbook tells only to use manual system when do no get 3 green lights. In this case, he felt there was another reason for no lights so he did not use the manual extension. Plane back and flying within a week.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG DUE TO ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND PLT MISCONCEPTION REGARDING MANUAL EXTENSION SYSTEM.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING LWB I NOTICED THE ALTERNATOR METER WAS SHOWING A DISCHARGE. I TURNED OFF THE #2 RADIO AND DME. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZDC IN THE AIR FOR MY IFR CLRNC TO CRW, MY HOME BASE. FLT CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR WITH 20 MI VISIBILITY. THE RADIO INITIALLY HAD A LOT OF STATIC AND THEN I COULD NOT HEAR ANYTHING FROM THE INTERCOM HEADPHONES. I THEN TURNED OFF THE #1 RADIO, XPONDER, INTERCOM SYS, AND EXTERNAL LIGHTS. I WAS THEN ABLE TO CONTACT ZDC WITH MY HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER CONNECTED TO AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA. I RECEIVED MY IFR CLRNC AND ALSO INFORMED ZDC OF MY ALTERNATOR FAILURE. CENTER GAVE ME A VECTOR STRAIGHT FOR CRW. I WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO CRW APCH. IT WAS NOW DARK AND I WAS USING A FLASHLIGHT WITH A RED BEAM TO READ THE INSTRUMENTS. I COULD SEE CRW AT ABOUT 20 MI. I OPENED THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK AND READ THE SECTION ON ALTERNATOR FAILURE, WHICH SIMPLY STATED TO TURN THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH OFF AND TO USE ONLY NECESSARY ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE LNDG GEAR MAY NOT GO DOWN. I READ THE SECTION IN THE POH ON HOW TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR. AT ABOUT 10-15 MI FROM CRW I TURNED THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH TO THE 'ON' POS. I THEN PUT THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POS. AT THAT TIME I FELT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE LNDG GEAR GOING INTO THE DOWN POS. HOWEVER, THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS ON THE PANEL DID NOT COME ON. I THEN TURNED THE PANEL LIGHT SWITCH ON, BUT THERE WERE NO INSTRUMENT LIGHTS. I THOUGHT ABOUT USING THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION SYS, BUT DECIDED NOT TO DO SO BECAUSE I HAD FELT THE LNDG GEAR GO DOWN AND WAS UNSURE IF RELEASING THE HYD PRESSURE ON THE GEAR, WITH THE GEAR SUPPOSEDLY DOWN, WOULD CAUSE THE LNDG GEAR TO BE IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. I WAS CLRED BY THE CRW TWR TO LAND ON RWY 33. SINCE THERE WAS A FULL MOON AND LIGHTS ON THE ARPT, I COULD SEE THE SURFACE OF THE RWY. I MADE A NORMAL APCH AND FLARE, BUT THEN HEARD THE SOUND OF GRINDING METAL. THE AIRPLANE SLID GENTLY ONTO THE RWY AND REMAINED IN THE CENTER OF THE RWY. AT THIS TIME I THOUGHT THAT THE LNDG GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH AND PUTTING THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH IN THE OFF POS, THE PAX AND I EXITED THE AIRPLANE. I THEN EXAMINED THE LNDG GEAR AND DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR HAD NEVER DROPPED DOWN. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AT NIGHT, IN ADDITION TO MY FAILURE TO MANUALLY EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN TO TRY MANUAL SYS ANYWAY. IF GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED HE WOULD NOT HAVE RETRACTED IN HIS ATTEMPT TO USE THE MANUAL EXTENSION. HANDBOOK TELLS ONLY TO USE MANUAL SYS WHEN DO NO GET 3 GREEN LIGHTS. IN THIS CASE, HE FELT THERE WAS ANOTHER REASON FOR NO LIGHTS SO HE DID NOT USE THE MANUAL EXTENSION. PLANE BACK AND FLYING WITHIN A WEEK.

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