FLC OF A BEECHCRAFT 100; KING AIR; LOST ALL ELECTRICAL SYS; INCLUDING THE BATTERY SOURCE; IN IMC DUE TO MISMGMNT OF THE START ENG SWITCHES. THE CREW WAS ABLE TO CANCEL IFR VIA A CELLULAR PHONE THROUGH THEIR COMPANY.

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DURING THE PRE-TKOF CHK THE PLT TURNED THE START SWITCHES ON INSTEAD OF THE AUTO IGNITION ON THE BE10. THIS GAVE HIM THE CORRECT INDICATION OF IGNITION LIGHTS ON. HOWEVER; IT ALSO TOOK THE GENERATORS OFF LINE. THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB WAS A RED GEAR WARNING LIGHT WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED. WE ARE NOW IMC. THE GEAR WAS CYCLED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE HAD A WET UPLOCK SWITCH. THIS FURTHER DRAINED BATTERY PWR. WITHIN 5 MINS WE WERE OUT OF BATTERY PWR BUT IN VFR ON TOP. WE CALLED THE COMPANY DISPATCH VIA CELLULAR PHONE AND TOLD THEM TO CALL BIL TWR AND CANCEL OUR IFR FLT PLAN. THIS GAVE US THE ABILITY TO CLB OR DSND OR CHANGE RTE OF FLT. WE FLEW W TOWARD HLN AND BETTER VFR WX. HLN TWR CALLED MY CELLULAR PHONE AND ADVISED OF A HOLE N OF HLN. WE FOUND THE HOLE AND DSNDED. PUMPED THE GEAR DOWN AND LANDED SAFELY. THIS PROB WAS CAUSED BY THE CLOSENESS OF THE SWITCHES. THE PLT NORMALLY FLIES A BE20. MORE ALERTNESS AND DIFFERENCES TRAINING WERE NEEDED. THIS TRAINING IS NOW BEING GIVEN TO ALL OF OUR PLTS WHO FLY THE KING AIRS.