History of the Flight
On 22 July 2017, at 1350 hrs, a Piper PA-28RT-201 (registration N2136E) departed Sandtoft Airfield, Lincolnshire, for a local private flight with one pilot and three passengers. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, a passenger became unwell, prompting the pilot to return to Sandtoft. The pilot informed the airfield of his intention to make a straight-in approach to Runway 23.
About five miles from the airfield, the pilot initiated landing checks and selected the landing gear down. Two to three seconds later, the aircraft lost all electrical power. The pilot verified that all circuit breakers were in, but was concerned that a faulty electrical circuit might still be live and could cause a fire. Despite the radio failing, the pilot chose to continue the approach as he could see the airfield. No gear-down light indications were observed, although the landing gear lever was in the down position.
The approach proceeded normally until the propeller struck the ground. The aircraft then slid to a halt on the runway. Before the aircraft stopped, the pilot turned off the electrical master switch and set the fuel to cut-off. All four occupants evacuated without injury.
Investigation
The aircraft's landing gear is electrically actuated. It is most probable that the gear had not locked down before the electrical failure occurred. The fault was traced to a faulty Battery Master switch. The aircraft sustained extensive damage.