Narrative:

On a return flight from avx, approach handed me off to bur tower. I was given a clearance to land on runway 8. Approximately 30 seconds later, I experienced a total electrical failure. I flew upwind over the runway I was supposed to land on and started to circle above the field to attempt to troubleshoot the problem. After trying to rectify the problem using the poh, I elected to proceed with the emergency gear extension procedure outlined in the poh. I followed the steps required by the poh, but was unable to disconnect the electric gear motor (which you must do to mechanically extend the gear). After several attempts at this, I tried the master switch on again at which time I seemed to have the radios back, but without transmission capability. I communicated with the tower via clicks on the microphone button and made them aware I was having gear problems. Since I seemed to have electrical and was unable to do a manual gear extension, I tried to bring the gear down the conventional way. As soon as I did this, the electrical went out again. Without a positive way of knowing if the gear was down and locked, and running out of any procedural or checklist things to do, I elected to land on runway 8 and take a chance that the gear was down. Upon touchdown (a very smooth one, I might add) I heard the bottom of the fuselage scraping the asphalt. As soon as the aircraft came to a stop I quickly got my 3 passenger out of the airplane followed by myself. All 4 of us walked away with no injuries and minimal damage to this aircraft. I feel that what saved 4 lives that day was the ability to stay calm and go through the procedures outlined in the checklist without panicking 3 other people on board. Sometimes things just break, and no matter what you do you can't fix it. It is just a machine! This is what I have learned: stay calm, use the checklist, and when all else fails, fly the airplane. I am glad that my family is alive today to talk about this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24 PLT LANDS HIS ACFT GEAR UP AFTER HAVING FAILED TO EXTEND THE GEAR BY NORMAL OR EMER MEANS AT BUR, CA.

Narrative: ON A RETURN FLT FROM AVX, APCH HANDED ME OFF TO BUR TWR. I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 8. APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I FLEW UPWIND OVER THE RWY I WAS SUPPOSED TO LAND ON AND STARTED TO CIRCLE ABOVE THE FIELD TO ATTEMPT TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. AFTER TRYING TO RECTIFY THE PROB USING THE POH, I ELECTED TO PROCEED WITH THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC OUTLINED IN THE POH. I FOLLOWED THE STEPS REQUIRED BY THE POH, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DISCONNECT THE ELECTRIC GEAR MOTOR (WHICH YOU MUST DO TO MECHANICALLY EXTEND THE GEAR). AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT THIS, I TRIED THE MASTER SWITCH ON AGAIN AT WHICH TIME I SEEMED TO HAVE THE RADIOS BACK, BUT WITHOUT XMISSION CAPABILITY. I COMMUNICATED WITH THE TWR VIA CLICKS ON THE MIKE BUTTON AND MADE THEM AWARE I WAS HAVING GEAR PROBS. SINCE I SEEMED TO HAVE ELECTRICAL AND WAS UNABLE TO DO A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION, I TRIED TO BRING THE GEAR DOWN THE CONVENTIONAL WAY. AS SOON AS I DID THIS, THE ELECTRICAL WENT OUT AGAIN. WITHOUT A POSITIVE WAY OF KNOWING IF THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED, AND RUNNING OUT OF ANY PROCEDURAL OR CHKLIST THINGS TO DO, I ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 8 AND TAKE A CHANCE THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. UPON TOUCHDOWN (A VERY SMOOTH ONE, I MIGHT ADD) I HEARD THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE SCRAPING THE ASPHALT. AS SOON AS THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP I QUICKLY GOT MY 3 PAX OUT OF THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWED BY MYSELF. ALL 4 OF US WALKED AWAY WITH NO INJURIES AND MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THIS ACFT. I FEEL THAT WHAT SAVED 4 LIVES THAT DAY WAS THE ABILITY TO STAY CALM AND GO THROUGH THE PROCS OUTLINED IN THE CHKLIST WITHOUT PANICKING 3 OTHER PEOPLE ON BOARD. SOMETIMES THINGS JUST BREAK, AND NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO YOU CAN'T FIX IT. IT IS JUST A MACHINE! THIS IS WHAT I HAVE LEARNED: STAY CALM, USE THE CHKLIST, AND WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, FLY THE AIRPLANE. I AM GLAD THAT MY FAMILY IS ALIVE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

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