DEN99LA151

While on a positioning flight from one local airport to another, the aircraft developed an electrical discrepancy and the pilot elected to shut down the electrical system via the master switch. During the subsequent precautionary landing, the electrically actuated hydraulically operated landing gear remained up despite the pilot's activation of the landing gear switch to the gear down position. The aircraft slid to a stop following the gear up landing and was destroyed by post landing fire. The pilot exited the aircraft and was not injured.

On August 18, 1999, at 0800 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 17-30A, N4148B, was destroyed by fire following a wheels up landing at Albuquerque International Airport, Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ). The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was a positioning flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Coronado Airport in Albuquerque, at 0745.

According to the pilot, he had an electrical failure following his departure from Coronado Airport, which is approximately 15 miles north of Albuquerque International Airport. He said that prior to shutting down the electrical system via the master switch to conserve the battery, he received clearance from ABQ to land on runway 08 while on final approach. The pilot related that he secured the electrical master switch and lowered the landing gear switch. He said that since the electrical master switch was off he could not confirm the landing gear was down via the landing gear position indicator, and landed with the landing gear in the retracted position.

Information supplied by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who went to the scene, provided information that the aircraft slid to a stop to the west of runway 8 and a post landing fire destroyed the aircraft after the pilot exited.

The aircraft information and operations manual provides information that the landing gear switch allows the pilot to raise and lower the landing gear through an electrically actuated hydraulically operated system. In the event of a total electrical failure, the landing gear can be lowered by manually relieving the hydraulic pressure and allowing the landing gear to free fall to the down and locked position. Without electrical power, the landing gear switch is inert.