Narrative:

I departed ZZZ1 shortly after XA00 to extend my VFR flight plan. I contacted center shortly after takeoff. The path went north of rocky mountain national park. On descent, the autoplt would not follow a controled descent. I flew the aircraft manually to descend towards the area south of ZZZ2. The electric altimeter was stuck at 13500 ft. After verifying that co-pilot altimeter and vsi were working and the descent was normal, I turned off the oxygen. During the descent, communication #1, the GPS became intermittent, and communication #2 was inoperative. To lose altitude and stay outside ZZZ3 class B airspace, I did a left 360 degree turn. I continued the descent to 7500 ft MSL. To try to get things working, I cycled avionics power twice, but there was no improvement. I then tried emergency avionics power, which did not help. I looked up loss of avionics power in the poh. The procedure was what I had already done. Next I checked for circuit breaker problems. There were no circuit breakers out. Then I started pulling non essential avionics circuit breakers. After I pulled the electric altimeter circuit breaker, the GPS started working again. I still did not have a reliable fuel indication from the fuel gauge. Even though I thought that I probably had over 1 hour of fuel left, I was very concerned not having verification of the fuel level. Next, I checked current drain from battery, which was near zero. Then I checked the battery voltage, which was more than 25 volts, ok. All of the above debug done at 7500 ft MSL while flying north/south over and north of ZZZ4. At this point, I was not able to receive on communication #2. However, communication #1 (the GPS) worked well enough to receive ZZZ ATIS (variable/5 KTS, landing runway 29R/left), and set the co-pilot's altimeter to the ATIS. Next, I switched to ZZZ tower on communication #1. The radio channel was very busy, and it took a while before I was able to transmit. Then I called, 'pan, pan' several times to communicate my urgent situation, but got no response. With current ATIS and ZZZ and the urgency of the potential low fuel situation, I made the decision to proceed to ZZZ and land with light signals. Communication #1, the GPS started blinking some more, but I could still hear ZZZ tower. I lost ZZZ receiver on way to ZZZ. I assumed that I had an avionics only failure. I lowered the landing gear to indicate my intentions to land to the ZZZ tower. Before entering right downwind for runway 29R at ZZZ, I did a c-gumps check. This normally includes a check to verify '3 green,' gear down. I entered ZZZ runway 29R, right downwind at 7000 ft MSL. The extra ht was to stay above normal pattern altitude of 6700 ft for safety. During this whole time, I was looking for signal lights from the tower, but saw nothing. After the tower passed under my right wing, I did a left 360 degree turn to try again. After another downwind, I still did not see any signal lights from the tower. Abeam the numbers, I set 15 degrees flaps and verified the flaps went down. While going base to final, I watched carefully for other aircraft, and on final looked for signal lights again. On short final, I saw a plane moving onto runway, and went around. On the go around, I raised landing gear and flaps to climb. The flight path was to the north of tower. I continued looking for lights, but saw nothing. Next, I re-entered downwind for runway 29R, lowered landing gear, and set 15 degrees flaps. I did a second c-gumps check while looking at tower for any signal lights. I still did not see any lights. Next, I noticed that the flap indicator was not down. I raised flap lever to avoid unexpected flap conditions later. On base to final, I continued looking for signal lights from tower, but saw nothing. The runway, taxiway, and run-up areas were all empty. This is very unusual for a fair WX sunday. Based on this, I assumed emergency preparation was in progress. At this point, I proceeded to land. As I settled into the flare, I heard propeller strikes. All I could do then was keep the plane centered on runway. After landing, smoke rose in cabin. I then exited quickly to grass, and waited for the fire trucks. Comments and recommendations: 1) go over electrical debug issues more personally, in training, and check rides, especially at the multi-engine level. The more complex issues in multi-engine aircraft more training and simulated emergencys. The required training in single engine operation is good, but the other complexities that come with multi-engine aircraft should be addressed. 2) given the perceived fuel urgency, a better course of action would have been to climb to 3000 ft AGL over the airport and sort out the problem with calm deliberate action. This would have kept enough altitude if the fuel was exhausted, while giving time to analyze the situation better. Emphasize alternatives like this more in flight training. 3) practice realistic, simulated signal light sits during training, day and night, to become better acquainted with what they look like. This could be done with the instructor using a handheld or other radio to coordinate with the tower while the tower communicates with the student via light signals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 PLT LANDED GEAR UP AFTER DISTR FROM 5 SYS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ZZZ1 SHORTLY AFTER XA00 TO EXTEND MY VFR FLT PLAN. I CONTACTED CTR SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. THE PATH WENT N OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATL PARK. ON DSCNT, THE AUTOPLT WOULD NOT FOLLOW A CTLED DSCNT. I FLEW THE ACFT MANUALLY TO DSND TOWARDS THE AREA S OF ZZZ2. THE ELECTRIC ALTIMETER WAS STUCK AT 13500 FT. AFTER VERIFYING THAT CO-PLT ALTIMETER AND VSI WERE WORKING AND THE DSCNT WAS NORMAL, I TURNED OFF THE OXYGEN. DURING THE DSCNT, COM #1, THE GPS BECAME INTERMITTENT, AND COM #2 WAS INOP. TO LOSE ALT AND STAY OUTSIDE ZZZ3 CLASS B AIRSPACE, I DID A L 360 DEG TURN. I CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO 7500 FT MSL. TO TRY TO GET THINGS WORKING, I CYCLED AVIONICS PWR TWICE, BUT THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT. I THEN TRIED EMER AVIONICS PWR, WHICH DID NOT HELP. I LOOKED UP LOSS OF AVIONICS PWR IN THE POH. THE PROC WAS WHAT I HAD ALREADY DONE. NEXT I CHKED FOR CIRCUIT BREAKER PROBS. THERE WERE NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS OUT. THEN I STARTED PULLING NON ESSENTIAL AVIONICS CIRCUIT BREAKERS. AFTER I PULLED THE ELECTRIC ALTIMETER CIRCUIT BREAKER, THE GPS STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I STILL DID NOT HAVE A RELIABLE FUEL INDICATION FROM THE FUEL GAUGE. EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT THAT I PROBABLY HAD OVER 1 HR OF FUEL LEFT, I WAS VERY CONCERNED NOT HAVING VERIFICATION OF THE FUEL LEVEL. NEXT, I CHKED CURRENT DRAIN FROM BATTERY, WHICH WAS NEAR ZERO. THEN I CHKED THE BATTERY VOLTAGE, WHICH WAS MORE THAN 25 VOLTS, OK. ALL OF THE ABOVE DEBUG DONE AT 7500 FT MSL WHILE FLYING N/S OVER AND N OF ZZZ4. AT THIS POINT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE ON COM #2. HOWEVER, COM #1 (THE GPS) WORKED WELL ENOUGH TO RECEIVE ZZZ ATIS (VARIABLE/5 KTS, LNDG RWY 29R/L), AND SET THE CO-PLT'S ALTIMETER TO THE ATIS. NEXT, I SWITCHED TO ZZZ TWR ON COM #1. THE RADIO CHANNEL WAS VERY BUSY, AND IT TOOK A WHILE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO XMIT. THEN I CALLED, 'PAN, PAN' SEVERAL TIMES TO COMMUNICATE MY URGENT SIT, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. WITH CURRENT ATIS AND ZZZ AND THE URGENCY OF THE POTENTIAL LOW FUEL SIT, I MADE THE DECISION TO PROCEED TO ZZZ AND LAND WITH LIGHT SIGNALS. COM #1, THE GPS STARTED BLINKING SOME MORE, BUT I COULD STILL HEAR ZZZ TWR. I LOST ZZZ RECEIVER ON WAY TO ZZZ. I ASSUMED THAT I HAD AN AVIONICS ONLY FAILURE. I LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR TO INDICATE MY INTENTIONS TO LAND TO THE ZZZ TWR. BEFORE ENTERING R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29R AT ZZZ, I DID A C-GUMPS CHK. THIS NORMALLY INCLUDES A CHK TO VERIFY '3 GREEN,' GEAR DOWN. I ENTERED ZZZ RWY 29R, R DOWNWIND AT 7000 FT MSL. THE EXTRA HT WAS TO STAY ABOVE NORMAL PATTERN ALT OF 6700 FT FOR SAFETY. DURING THIS WHOLE TIME, I WAS LOOKING FOR SIGNAL LIGHTS FROM THE TWR, BUT SAW NOTHING. AFTER THE TWR PASSED UNDER MY R WING, I DID A L 360 DEG TURN TO TRY AGAIN. AFTER ANOTHER DOWNWIND, I STILL DID NOT SEE ANY SIGNAL LIGHTS FROM THE TWR. ABEAM THE NUMBERS, I SET 15 DEGS FLAPS AND VERIFIED THE FLAPS WENT DOWN. WHILE GOING BASE TO FINAL, I WATCHED CAREFULLY FOR OTHER ACFT, AND ON FINAL LOOKED FOR SIGNAL LIGHTS AGAIN. ON SHORT FINAL, I SAW A PLANE MOVING ONTO RWY, AND WENT AROUND. ON THE GAR, I RAISED LNDG GEAR AND FLAPS TO CLB. THE FLT PATH WAS TO THE N OF TWR. I CONTINUED LOOKING FOR LIGHTS, BUT SAW NOTHING. NEXT, I RE-ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29R, LOWERED LNDG GEAR, AND SET 15 DEGS FLAPS. I DID A SECOND C-GUMPS CHK WHILE LOOKING AT TWR FOR ANY SIGNAL LIGHTS. I STILL DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHTS. NEXT, I NOTICED THAT THE FLAP INDICATOR WAS NOT DOWN. I RAISED FLAP LEVER TO AVOID UNEXPECTED FLAP CONDITIONS LATER. ON BASE TO FINAL, I CONTINUED LOOKING FOR SIGNAL LIGHTS FROM TWR, BUT SAW NOTHING. THE RWY, TXWY, AND RUN-UP AREAS WERE ALL EMPTY. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR A FAIR WX SUNDAY. BASED ON THIS, I ASSUMED EMER PREPARATION WAS IN PROGRESS. AT THIS POINT, I PROCEEDED TO LAND. AS I SETTLED INTO THE FLARE, I HEARD PROP STRIKES. ALL I COULD DO THEN WAS KEEP THE PLANE CTRED ON RWY. AFTER LNDG, SMOKE ROSE IN CABIN. I THEN EXITED QUICKLY TO GRASS, AND WAITED FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS. COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) GO OVER ELECTRICAL DEBUG ISSUES MORE PERSONALLY, IN TRAINING, AND CHK RIDES, ESPECIALLY AT THE MULTI-ENG LEVEL. THE MORE COMPLEX ISSUES IN MULTI-ENG ACFT MORE TRAINING AND SIMULATED EMERS. THE REQUIRED TRAINING IN SINGLE ENG OP IS GOOD, BUT THE OTHER COMPLEXITIES THAT COME WITH MULTI-ENG ACFT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. 2) GIVEN THE PERCEIVED FUEL URGENCY, A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CLB TO 3000 FT AGL OVER THE ARPT AND SORT OUT THE PROB WITH CALM DELIBERATE ACTION. THIS WOULD HAVE KEPT ENOUGH ALT IF THE FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED, WHILE GIVING TIME TO ANALYZE THE SIT BETTER. EMPHASIZE ALTERNATIVES LIKE THIS MORE IN FLT TRAINING. 3) PRACTICE REALISTIC, SIMULATED SIGNAL LIGHT SITS DURING TRAINING, DAY AND NIGHT, TO BECOME BETTER ACQUAINTED WITH WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. THIS COULD BE DONE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR USING A HANDHELD OR OTHER RADIO TO COORDINATE WITH THE TWR WHILE THE TWR COMMUNICATES WITH THE STUDENT VIA LIGHT SIGNALS.

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.