Narrative:

We left halifax about XX15 EDT flying to st john and princeton, me. We were at 6000' flying in clouds. About 25 mi north of bangor, me, the controller asked to recycle my transponder because he had lost me. I recycled it but it did not come back. Then my LORAN went out, the my DME, and I notified him that I was losing electrical power. We decided to land at bangor and he vectored me for the ILS approach to runway 33. He advised my descent to 2300'. After reaching that altitude I asked him I I should descend further. I received no answer and repeating the question got the same results. I had lost communication. I descended to 800' which allowed me to see the ground for the first time. I never saw the airport so I climbed back out to 6000'. I flew west and slightly south trying to fly out of it. I had switched tanks with 1/4 tank left in the right tank before electrical failure. I flew until the left tank was empty. I knew I had approximately 45 mins of fuel left. So I decided to start down thru the clouds to see if I could find a break in the overcast. At about 4000' I saw a small break in the overcast about 1/4 mi in diameter. It was obvious we were in the mountains. I circled to look for a field large enough to land on. I saw only one that looked large enough and it had slight grade to it. It looked fairly smooth but had weeds 2-3' high. There were trees about 50' high at the approach end. I made my descent manually extending the gear, slowed the plane to about 80 mph just over the trees and set it down at once. The slight grade upward and the weeds helped to slow the plane. I applied the brakes and we made a pretty descent landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIGHT SINGLE ENGINE ACFT ON IFR PLAN IN IMC LOST ELECTRICAL POWER. NO NAVIGATION, NO COM, ETC. FUDGES AROUND UNTIL HE FINDS A HOLE THROUGH WHICH TO DESCEND AND LAND.

Narrative: WE LEFT HALIFAX ABOUT XX15 EDT FLYING TO ST JOHN AND PRINCETON, ME. WE WERE AT 6000' FLYING IN CLOUDS. ABOUT 25 MI N OF BANGOR, ME, THE CTLR ASKED TO RECYCLE MY XPONDER BECAUSE HE HAD LOST ME. I RECYCLED IT BUT IT DID NOT COME BACK. THEN MY LORAN WENT OUT, THE MY DME, AND I NOTIFIED HIM THAT I WAS LOSING ELECTRICAL POWER. WE DECIDED TO LAND AT BANGOR AND HE VECTORED ME FOR THE ILS APCH TO RWY 33. HE ADVISED MY DSCNT TO 2300'. AFTER REACHING THAT ALT I ASKED HIM I I SHOULD DSND FURTHER. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER AND REPEATING THE QUESTION GOT THE SAME RESULTS. I HAD LOST COM. I DESCENDED TO 800' WHICH ALLOWED ME TO SEE THE GND FOR THE FIRST TIME. I NEVER SAW THE ARPT SO I CLIMBED BACK OUT TO 6000'. I FLEW W AND SLIGHTLY S TRYING TO FLY OUT OF IT. I HAD SWITCHED TANKS WITH 1/4 TANK LEFT IN THE RIGHT TANK BEFORE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I FLEW UNTIL THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. I KNEW I HAD APPROX 45 MINS OF FUEL LEFT. SO I DECIDED TO START DOWN THRU THE CLOUDS TO SEE IF I COULD FIND A BREAK IN THE OVERCAST. AT ABOUT 4000' I SAW A SMALL BREAK IN THE OVERCAST ABOUT 1/4 MI IN DIAMETER. IT WAS OBVIOUS WE WERE IN THE MOUNTAINS. I CIRCLED TO LOOK FOR A FIELD LARGE ENOUGH TO LAND ON. I SAW ONLY ONE THAT LOOKED LARGE ENOUGH AND IT HAD SLIGHT GRADE TO IT. IT LOOKED FAIRLY SMOOTH BUT HAD WEEDS 2-3' HIGH. THERE WERE TREES ABOUT 50' HIGH AT THE APCH END. I MADE MY DSCNT MANUALLY EXTENDING THE GEAR, SLOWED THE PLANE TO ABOUT 80 MPH JUST OVER THE TREES AND SET IT DOWN AT ONCE. THE SLIGHT GRADE UPWARD AND THE WEEDS HELPED TO SLOW THE PLANE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND WE MADE A PRETTY DSCNT LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.