Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 18; Flight Crew Total 801; Flight Crew Type 715
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
Electrical instruments started failing about 1;000 FT AGL on runway heading. Initiated a right turn back to the runway; tried to contact Tower on failed radio. [I] squawked 7600 on transponder; received transmission from an entity that monitors 121.5. I tried to lower gear with no positive result [and] contacted ATC. Advised them of the situation and declared an emergency. Center responded. I told them I was going southeast of the airport to manually crank down the gear. ATC approved and requested to let them know when I was ready to go to [departure airport] to land. [I] got gear down but no green lights due to the electrical failure. Told ATC ready to go to [departure airport] they approved a straight in. [I] asked Tower for a fly by to verify gear down. On fly by Tower indicated that the gear looked down. Circled and successfully landed. After shutdown [I] called Tower Supervisor for follow up; he indicated everything was good on his end. Airplane inspection showed that the battery had failed.
A BE35 loss of battery took down the electrical system.  An emergency return to departure airport was followed by a safe landing.