Narrative:

Was being radar vectored for the VOR DME runway 23 approach to loz. Just before electrical failure I received radar vector of 110 degrees and descend from 5000' to 4000'. At the moment of electrical failure I halted my descent. MSA in that area is 4300'. I was in the clouds picking up ice. I then turned to a heading of 360 degrees and started a climb to 8000'. I knew VFR WX was north and I had just descended from VFR at 7000'. I climbed to get out of the ice and be able to see and avoid other aircraft. ZID had given me london WX as ceilings 2300', wind 310. I cannot recall temperature and dew point. After getting on a 360 degree heading and climbing I got a hand-held radio out and handing it to one of my passengers, who is a private pilot and had him call on 121.50. He broadcast to any station with our callsign 'we have lost electrical power.' nobody answered. We continued broadcasting. When we were VFR on top I took radio and tried calling. Nobody answered. I had just received this radio before this trip. We flew for about 10 or 20 mins before we found a hole in the clouds we could descend through. I put the landing gear down to get through the hole. When below the clouds VFR I started fuel conservation and looking for an airport. While VFR I figured out how the VOR portion of the hand-held radio worked and started flying for hyk VOR. When we were about 20 NM from lexington I got the ATIS. I tried calling lexington approach, they could not receive my transmissions. I could hear them they could not hear me. I finally got lexington tower about 8 to 10 NM from the airport. They told me I was weak. I told them I was on a hand-held radio. I told them I had been shooting an approach at london and lost all electrical power. I should have insisted they call ZID and tell them I was all right. When I got on the ground at lexington I tried to have ground call someone but they told me to call flight service. I should have been more insistent that they call center. I called FSS on the ground. The problem was the field wire broke off at the connector on the back of the alternator. I had a call from louisville FSS. He asked some questions, and wants me to send in a mrd report. I called and asked them to send the report to GADO office. I also received a call from ZID. This was on my answering machine when I returned home. I answered his question. He told me they had search and rescue out looking for us. I appreciate everybody's assistance and hope this can help everybody filling out the reports on the incident. I will check the wire on the back of the alternator more closely at preflight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ON IFR DESCENT NEAR DESTINATION HAS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN IMC. PLT CLIMBS BACK TO VMC THROUGH ICING AND USES HANDHELD RADIO TO COORD A LNDG AT ALTERNATE ARPT.

Narrative: WAS BEING RADAR VECTORED FOR THE VOR DME RWY 23 APCH TO LOZ. JUST BEFORE ELECTRICAL FAILURE I RECEIVED RADAR VECTOR OF 110 DEGS AND DSND FROM 5000' TO 4000'. AT THE MOMENT OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE I HALTED MY DSNT. MSA IN THAT AREA IS 4300'. I WAS IN THE CLOUDS PICKING UP ICE. I THEN TURNED TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND STARTED A CLB TO 8000'. I KNEW VFR WX WAS N AND I HAD JUST DSNDED FROM VFR AT 7000'. I CLBED TO GET OUT OF THE ICE AND BE ABLE TO SEE AND AVOID OTHER ACFT. ZID HAD GIVEN ME LONDON WX AS CEILINGS 2300', WIND 310. I CANNOT RECALL TEMP AND DEW POINT. AFTER GETTING ON A 360 DEG HDG AND CLBING I GOT A HAND-HELD RADIO OUT AND HANDING IT TO ONE OF MY PAXS, WHO IS A PRIVATE PLT AND HAD HIM CALL ON 121.50. HE BROADCAST TO ANY STATION WITH OUR CALLSIGN 'WE HAVE LOST ELECTRICAL PWR.' NOBODY ANSWERED. WE CONTINUED BROADCASTING. WHEN WE WERE VFR ON TOP I TOOK RADIO AND TRIED CALLING. NOBODY ANSWERED. I HAD JUST RECEIVED THIS RADIO BEFORE THIS TRIP. WE FLEW FOR ABOUT 10 OR 20 MINS BEFORE WE FOUND A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS WE COULD DSND THROUGH. I PUT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN TO GET THROUGH THE HOLE. WHEN BELOW THE CLOUDS VFR I STARTED FUEL CONSERVATION AND LOOKING FOR AN ARPT. WHILE VFR I FIGURED OUT HOW THE VOR PORTION OF THE HAND-HELD RADIO WORKED AND STARTED FLYING FOR HYK VOR. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 20 NM FROM LEXINGTON I GOT THE ATIS. I TRIED CALLING LEXINGTON APCH, THEY COULD NOT RECEIVE MY TRANSMISSIONS. I COULD HEAR THEM THEY COULD NOT HEAR ME. I FINALLY GOT LEXINGTON TWR ABOUT 8 TO 10 NM FROM THE ARPT. THEY TOLD ME I WAS WEAK. I TOLD THEM I WAS ON A HAND-HELD RADIO. I TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN SHOOTING AN APCH AT LONDON AND LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED THEY CALL ZID AND TELL THEM I WAS ALL RIGHT. WHEN I GOT ON THE GND AT LEXINGTON I TRIED TO HAVE GND CALL SOMEONE BUT THEY TOLD ME TO CALL FLT SVC. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INSISTENT THAT THEY CALL CTR. I CALLED FSS ON THE GND. THE PROB WAS THE FIELD WIRE BROKE OFF AT THE CONNECTOR ON THE BACK OF THE ALTERNATOR. I HAD A CALL FROM LOUISVILLE FSS. HE ASKED SOME QUESTIONS, AND WANTS ME TO SEND IN A MRD RPT. I CALLED AND ASKED THEM TO SEND THE RPT TO GADO OFFICE. I ALSO RECEIVED A CALL FROM ZID. THIS WAS ON MY ANSWERING MACHINE WHEN I RETURNED HOME. I ANSWERED HIS QUESTION. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD SEARCH AND RESCUE OUT LOOKING FOR US. I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S ASSISTANCE AND HOPE THIS CAN HELP EVERYBODY FILLING OUT THE RPTS ON THE INCIDENT. I WILL CHK THE WIRE ON THE BACK OF THE ALTERNATOR MORE CLOSELY AT PREFLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.