He had just landed when he saw Manfred getting ready to take off and exchanged a few words with him on the radio.  (For those not familiar with SPB it's an uncontrolled field.)  Within seconds after liftoff Manfred had a complete electrical failure.  He stayed in the pattern to return for landing.  He lowered the gear on downwind (we all know the emergency extension system is very reliable and doesn't require electrical power) and passed a much slower Cessna.  Apparently the Cessna didn't see Manfred and turned base and final inside of him.  Manfred didn't realize this (no radio) and didn't see the Cessna until it was on the runway and Manfred was close to the flare.  He attempted to side step to the grass alongside the runway and hit very hard.  His 320 bounced, banked steeply, and then a wingtip hit the ground.   By some miracle instead of cartwheeling the plane spun 180 degrees and slammed down flat and upright, completely breaking the empannage just ahead of the horizontal stab.  The plane then slide across the grass and through a small ditch, coming out on the other side.  When it came to rest, still upright, the landing gear had been completely wiped out and the firewall and engine mount were severely damaged with the engine canted upwared at 30 to 40 degrees.  Scott said the fuel line had broken ahead of the firewall and the contents of the header tank were running out when he got there.  It must have been a day for miracles as there was no fire.  Scott and some others helped Manfred and his grandson out of the plane.  They were pretty shaken but not seriously injured.  It could have been an awful lot worse.

Tom,

 

Thanks for the info.  Of course, this raises at least two questions, the answers to which would help us be safer.

 

1. What was the cause of a complete electrical failure?

 

2. Was a partial flap (takeoff position?), gear down go-around considered and possible?

 

PS: I could not find this accident in the NTSB database for 2006.