What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During a flight under visual flight rules from van nuys, CA to mammoth, CA, the pilot noted that the alternator was not charging. Initially, an annunciator light was blinking on and off followed by the load meter indicating battery discharge. The pilot notified ATC and was issued an IFR clearance to divert to bakersfield, CA where the weather was 2.5 miles visibility in haze. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft lost all electrical power and the pilot was unable to communicate with ATC. He diverted to Porterville, CA which had VFR visibility. The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear prior to landing using the alternate procedure and reported seeing gear down indicator lights (he stated he turned master switch on and there was sufficient electrical power for the lights). Upon landing, the gear was not down and the aircraft suffered minor damage to fuselage and propeller. An electrical problem precipitated this incident. The pilot attempted to extend the gear using the alternate procedure but was unsuccessful raising the possibility the gear itself malfunctioned. The pilot flew for a period of time ignoring the annunciator because he believed it to be erroneous. He had experienced this on previous flights and reported it to his mechanic. The mechanic was unable to duplicate/diagnose. The pilot was counseled to discontinue flight when there is indication of equipment/system malfunction and he assured that he will comply in the future. On 11-30-2004, inspectorf from fat FSDO WP-17 traveled to ptv to inspect the aircraft. The aircraft had been moved to a hangar and was on a dolly. No attempt had been made to extend the gear after the incident. When FAA inspectors were present, the aircraft was jacked and emergency gear extension procedure was performed. The landing gear then extended. The aircraft will be undergoing maintenance and engine tear down for an extended period. A follow up inspection will be conducted when the cause of the electrical failure can be determined prior to release of aircraft to service.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING A FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FROM VAN NUYS, CA TO MAMMOTH, CA, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING. INITIALLY, AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT WAS BLINKING ON AND OFF FOLLOWED BY THE LOAD METER INDICATING BATTERY DISCHARGE. THE PILOT NOTIFIED ATC AND WAS ISSUED AN IFR CLEARANCE TO DIVERT TO BAKERSFIELD, CA WHERE THE WEATHER WAS 2.5 MILES VISIBILITY IN HAZE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC. HE DIVERTED TO PORTERVILLE, CA WHICH HAD VFR VISIBILITY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO LANDING USING THE ALTERNATE PROCEDURE AND REPORTED SEEING GEAR DOWN INDICATOR LIGHTS (HE STATED HE TURNED MASTER SWITCH ON AND THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL POWER FOR THE LIGHTS). UPON LANDING, THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE AND PROPELLER. AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM PRECIPITATED THIS INCIDENT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE GEAR USING THE ALTERNATE PROCEDURE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL RAISING THE POSSIBILITY THE GEAR ITSELF MALFUNCTIONED. THE PILOT FLEW FOR A PERIOD OF TIME IGNORING THE ANNUNCIATOR BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IT TO BE ERRONEOUS. HE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS ON PREVIOUS FLIGHTS AND REPORTED IT TO HIS MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE/DIAGNOSE. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED TO DISCONTINUE FLIGHT WHEN THERE IS INDICATION OF EQUIPMENT/SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND HE ASSURED THAT HE WILL COMPLY IN THE FUTURE. ON 11-30-2004, INSPECTORF FROM FAT FSDO WP-17 TRAVELED TO PTV TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED TO A HANGAR AND WAS ON A DOLLY. NO ATTEMPT HAD BEEN MADE TO EXTEND THE GEAR AFTER THE INCIDENT. WHEN FAA INSPECTORS WERE PRESENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED AND EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED. THE LANDING GEAR THEN EXTENDED. THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE AND ENGINE TEAR DOWN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. A FOLLOW UP INSPECTION WILL BE CONDUCTED WHEN THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAN BE DETERMINED PRIOR TO RELEASE OF AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE.