Narrative:

On ground frequency, I requested taxi back to runway 24 for pattern work and was cleared to taxi to runway 24. Near the hold line for runway 24, my #1 radio blinked and went to 120.0. I could not turn to any frequency and so I switched to #2 radio and received clearance for departure with left close traffic. I departed runway 24 and stayed in the traffic pattern. I was #3 traffic. On downwind, as the aircraft turned base, the tower asked me to acknowledge aircraft in front of me. I acknowledged that I had aircraft in sight. A few seconds later, the tower asked me again and I replied, at the same time I looked at my radio. I saw that the #2 radio was out. I turned the knobs to make sure it was still on but it would not turn on. I immediately switched transponder code from 1200 to 7600. I then looked into my flight bag and took out my portable communication unit. I switched to tower frequency on the handheld and called the tower. They acknowledged me and I informed them that my radios were not working and I was using a handheld. I turned onto final and the tower came back to me indicating that my gear was not down and to go around. I went around and climbed to gain as much altitude as I could to get the gear down manually. The tower informed me that they could see the door open but no gear. As I climbed upwind, at around 2000 ft, I looked around and found the circuit breaker out for the landing gear. I put the circuit breaker in and felt the gear go down. I am not sure if I verified with the indicator that the gear was down and locked. I called tower on my handheld and they told me to come back in and they would visually check if the gear was down. On midfield, they acknowledged that the gear appeared to be down. I turned base and noticed I was too close and requested a 360 degree turn for more spacing. I cannot remember if I had put full flaps down (switch), but I remembered that I had to land the plane without flaps. After doing the right 360 degree turn, I landed the plane and taxied off A2 and back to the hangars. Before I shut down the plane, I noticed that the voltage reading read somewhere between 11-12 volts. I had logged .9 hours for that flight. After I put the plane in the hangar, I called the tower to see if they received my 7600 transponder code. They mentioned that when they lost radio contact, my aircraft disappeared from the radar screen and they figured I had an electrical failure. I was informed that ann arbor tower had cleared all traffic in the area (for possible emergency) and had called a fire truck and a police car. Both vehicles were standing by at the terminal building area. In speaking to my flight instructor, I realized that my radio failing should have been an indication of possible alternator failure. I should have taken evasive action and not taken off for the second time. I also should have kept the ammeter readings in my scan more frequently as it would have been a good indication of a possible impending alternator failure. Also, when there was an electrical failure, I should not depend on the electric landing gear operation. I should have manually cranked the gear down and verified that it was down and locked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE33 PLT, WHILE IN THE TFC PATTERN AT ARB, EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

Narrative: ON GND FREQ, I REQUESTED TAXI BACK TO RWY 24 FOR PATTERN WORK AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 24. NEAR THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 24, MY #1 RADIO BLINKED AND WENT TO 120.0. I COULD NOT TURN TO ANY FREQ AND SO I SWITCHED TO #2 RADIO AND RECEIVED CLRNC FOR DEP WITH L CLOSE TFC. I DEPARTED RWY 24 AND STAYED IN THE TFC PATTERN. I WAS #3 TFC. ON DOWNWIND, AS THE ACFT TURNED BASE, THE TWR ASKED ME TO ACKNOWLEDGE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I HAD ACFT IN SIGHT. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE TWR ASKED ME AGAIN AND I REPLIED, AT THE SAME TIME I LOOKED AT MY RADIO. I SAW THAT THE #2 RADIO WAS OUT. I TURNED THE KNOBS TO MAKE SURE IT WAS STILL ON BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN ON. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED XPONDER CODE FROM 1200 TO 7600. I THEN LOOKED INTO MY FLT BAG AND TOOK OUT MY PORTABLE COM UNIT. I SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ ON THE HANDHELD AND CALLED THE TWR. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED ME AND I INFORMED THEM THAT MY RADIOS WERE NOT WORKING AND I WAS USING A HANDHELD. I TURNED ONTO FINAL AND THE TWR CAME BACK TO ME INDICATING THAT MY GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND TO GO AROUND. I WENT AROUND AND CLBED TO GAIN AS MUCH ALT AS I COULD TO GET THE GEAR DOWN MANUALLY. THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD SEE THE DOOR OPEN BUT NO GEAR. AS I CLBED UPWIND, AT AROUND 2000 FT, I LOOKED AROUND AND FOUND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OUT FOR THE LNDG GEAR. I PUT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN AND FELT THE GEAR GO DOWN. I AM NOT SURE IF I VERIFIED WITH THE INDICATOR THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. I CALLED TWR ON MY HANDHELD AND THEY TOLD ME TO COME BACK IN AND THEY WOULD VISUALLY CHK IF THE GEAR WAS DOWN. ON MIDFIELD, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. I TURNED BASE AND NOTICED I WAS TOO CLOSE AND REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN FOR MORE SPACING. I CANNOT REMEMBER IF I HAD PUT FULL FLAPS DOWN (SWITCH), BUT I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD TO LAND THE PLANE WITHOUT FLAPS. AFTER DOING THE R 360 DEG TURN, I LANDED THE PLANE AND TAXIED OFF A2 AND BACK TO THE HANGARS. BEFORE I SHUT DOWN THE PLANE, I NOTICED THAT THE VOLTAGE READING READ SOMEWHERE BTWN 11-12 VOLTS. I HAD LOGGED .9 HRS FOR THAT FLT. AFTER I PUT THE PLANE IN THE HANGAR, I CALLED THE TWR TO SEE IF THEY RECEIVED MY 7600 XPONDER CODE. THEY MENTIONED THAT WHEN THEY LOST RADIO CONTACT, MY ACFT DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR SCREEN AND THEY FIGURED I HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I WAS INFORMED THAT ANN ARBOR TWR HAD CLRED ALL TFC IN THE AREA (FOR POSSIBLE EMER) AND HAD CALLED A FIRE TRUCK AND A POLICE CAR. BOTH VEHICLES WERE STANDING BY AT THE TERMINAL BUILDING AREA. IN SPEAKING TO MY FLT INSTRUCTOR, I REALIZED THAT MY RADIO FAILING SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN INDICATION OF POSSIBLE ALTERNATOR FAILURE. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION AND NOT TAKEN OFF FOR THE SECOND TIME. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE AMMETER READINGS IN MY SCAN MORE FREQUENTLY AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD INDICATION OF A POSSIBLE IMPENDING ALTERNATOR FAILURE. ALSO, WHEN THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE, I SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON THE ELECTRIC LNDG GEAR OP. I SHOULD HAVE MANUALLY CRANKED THE GEAR DOWN AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS DOWN AND LOCKED.

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.