Md-83 flight crew has loss of elect power during approach; declares emergency and lands.

Attributes
ACN	725520
Time
Date	200701
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	725520
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed as precaution
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On final to runway 35R; the landing gear was lowered at 6 mi. Upon the gear handle coming down; we experienced a complete loss of AC power. Emergency power was selected and the captain's instruments came back momentarily; then went out again. I tried to declare an emergency with tower; but was unable to transmit. The first officer had started the APU and it restored AC power on 2 mi final. An emergency was never declared and the landing was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD-83 FLT CREW HAS LOSS OF ELECT PWR DURING APCH; DECLARES EMER AND LANDS.

Narrative: ON FINAL TO RWY 35R; THE LNDG GEAR WAS LOWERED AT 6 MI. UPON THE GEAR HANDLE COMING DOWN; WE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF AC PWR. EMER PWR WAS SELECTED AND THE CAPT'S INSTS CAME BACK MOMENTARILY; THEN WENT OUT AGAIN. I TRIED TO DECLARE AN EMER WITH TWR; BUT WAS UNABLE TO XMIT. THE FO HAD STARTED THE APU AND IT RESTORED AC PWR ON 2 MI FINAL. AN EMER WAS NEVER DECLARED AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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