Narrative:

Had departed boulder city VFR and climbed to 12500. I didn't file a flight plan, nor did I have flight following. Approximately 15 mi west of position listed above, we encountered a solid deck below us. (My son and I.) I had pulled out my IFR charts to file for an approach into albuquerque (abq), when I lost all electrics, in our small aircraft retractable gear even the altimeter is electric. Knowing my last position, approximately, I turned back west and started a descent, since the elevation rose to the east of us. I held 500 FPM descent and timed it every min. I penetrated the clouds at approximately 9500 MSL and broke out approximately 1000 ft AGL. There were no visible airports and the aircraft was picking up ice pretty fast. (It was snowing below deck.) having no way to navigation or estimate altitude accurately, I elected to land. The gear extension had to be done manually and I landed the aircraft on a road near the town of fence lake. The state highway department of snow plowers had seen me and came as I taxied off the road. The aircraft was not damaged in any way and no one was hurt. I called backup 60 mi to the north and their chief pilot and mechanic came down and flew the aircraft back to gallup when the WX cleared, for repairs. Both the alternator and voltage regulator had failed. Considering the situation, I'm not sure what good a flight plan would have done in this situation, since I had no way to navigation or communication, I just did what I had to do to ensure the safety of my son and myself. I think I need to have a barometric altimeter installed in the aircraft! Because there was no damage to any property or anyone, I didn't report it to anyone other than the fence lake highway department who also act as the law enforcement for their town.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST ELECTRICAL PWR AT CRUISE ALT VFR ON TOP. PLT DSNDED THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND LANDED ON A ROAD.

Narrative: HAD DEPARTED BOULDER CITY VFR AND CLBED TO 12500. I DIDN'T FILE A FLT PLAN, NOR DID I HAVE FLT FOLLOWING. APPROX 15 MI W OF POS LISTED ABOVE, WE ENCOUNTERED A SOLID DECK BELOW US. (MY SON AND I.) I HAD PULLED OUT MY IFR CHARTS TO FILE FOR AN APCH INTO ALBUQUERQUE (ABQ), WHEN I LOST ALL ELECTRICS, IN OUR SMA RETRACTABLE GEAR EVEN THE ALTIMETER IS ELECTRIC. KNOWING MY LAST POS, APPROX, I TURNED BACK W AND STARTED A DSCNT, SINCE THE ELEVATION ROSE TO THE E OF US. I HELD 500 FPM DSCNT AND TIMED IT EVERY MIN. I PENETRATED THE CLOUDS AT APPROX 9500 MSL AND BROKE OUT APPROX 1000 FT AGL. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE ARPTS AND THE ACFT WAS PICKING UP ICE PRETTY FAST. (IT WAS SNOWING BELOW DECK.) HAVING NO WAY TO NAV OR ESTIMATE ALT ACCURATELY, I ELECTED TO LAND. THE GEAR EXTENSION HAD TO BE DONE MANUALLY AND I LANDED THE ACFT ON A ROAD NEAR THE TOWN OF FENCE LAKE. THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPT OF SNOW PLOWERS HAD SEEN ME AND CAME AS I TAXIED OFF THE ROAD. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED IN ANY WAY AND NO ONE WAS HURT. I CALLED BACKUP 60 MI TO THE N AND THEIR CHIEF PLT AND MECH CAME DOWN AND FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO GALLUP WHEN THE WX CLRED, FOR REPAIRS. BOTH THE ALTERNATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR HAD FAILED. CONSIDERING THE SITUATION, I'M NOT SURE WHAT GOOD A FLT PLAN WOULD HAVE DONE IN THIS SITUATION, SINCE I HAD NO WAY TO NAV OR COM, I JUST DID WHAT I HAD TO DO TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MY SON AND MYSELF. I THINK I NEED TO HAVE A BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER INSTALLED IN THE ACFT! BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY OR ANYONE, I DIDN'T RPT IT TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE FENCE LAKE HIGHWAY DEPT WHO ALSO ACT AS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THEIR TOWN.

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.