Narrative:

I filed for 5000 ft but was cleared for 7000 ft prior to intersecting V16 north of the cyn VOR. At 7000 ft I was picking up light rime so I requested a change in altitude. I was told lower would not be available crossing jfk so I opted for 9000 ft. At 9000 ft the conditions didn't improve so I requested higher. During the course of the flight, I was given a TA and turned on my landing light. Approximately 15 mi south of jfk I noticed a discharge on the ammeter and that the alternator breaker had popped. I shut down the avionics, pitot heat, lights, etc and attempted to reset the breaker. When I brought the alternator back on line everything went black and I smelled something hot. At the same time I was reaching for the alternator switch I knocked my flashlight onto the floor and ended up in a pitch black cockpit. This was by far the most urgent portion of the emergency. I started to panic and was reaching on the floor while still holding onto the yoke. I calmed myself down and let go of the yoke knowing I had a slight fuel imbal. I expected to go into a left turn and hoped that I would not developed into a spiral. I tried to see the artificial horizon, but even 4 inches from the panel I couldn't make it out very well. Finally I managed to find the flashlight under the rudder pedals. I don't know exactly how long I was in the dark, I'm sure it was only a min or so but it seemed much longer. After I located the flashlight, I felt back in control and able to consider my options. I started a climb to see if I could get on top and at least think my options over. At the same time I started evaluating the failure. I assumed the alternator was operational when the circuit breaker tripped. I also assumed I had been running the battery down for at least 10 mins prior to seeing the discharge on the ammeter. When I attempted to reset and bring the alternator back on line, I assumed a diode in the alternator must have shorted out putting a very heavy discharge on the system. Turning the master switch back on caused a full scale deflection of the ammeter. I was concerned about an electrical fire but I thought I might be able to get the alternator circuit breaker to trip if I could leave it on long enough. After several attempts the breaker tripped leaving me with at least some amount of battery in reserve. I turned on 1 communications radio and called approach. I told him of my situation and declared an emergency. The controller was very helpful. He asked if I would like to land, I decided that was the best course of action so I said yes. He gave me an immediate descent and vectors to jfk. I broke out at about 3500 ft MSL and was handed over to the tower. The landing was uneventful, with the exception of having to hand pump the gear down. This was a very traumatic emergency mainly due to the complete loss of lighting at night in solid IMC. In the future, I plan to attach a string to a small penlight flashlight and attach it with velcro to a side panel so it will be available if I ever encounter a situation like this again. I also plan to change the alternator circuit breaker to the type that can be pulled manually. I have not had my mechanic examine the electrical system at this point, so I don't have the exact reason for the failure, just my assumptions based on the symptoms I have reported here.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SUFFERS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE FLYING IN IMC AT NIGHT AND PICKING UP ICE.

Narrative: I FILED FOR 5000 FT BUT WAS CLRED FOR 7000 FT PRIOR TO INTERSECTING V16 N OF THE CYN VOR. AT 7000 FT I WAS PICKING UP LIGHT RIME SO I REQUESTED A CHANGE IN ALT. I WAS TOLD LOWER WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE XING JFK SO I OPTED FOR 9000 FT. AT 9000 FT THE CONDITIONS DIDN'T IMPROVE SO I REQUESTED HIGHER. DURING THE COURSE OF THE FLT, I WAS GIVEN A TA AND TURNED ON MY LNDG LIGHT. APPROX 15 MI S OF JFK I NOTICED A DISCHARGE ON THE AMMETER AND THAT THE ALTERNATOR BREAKER HAD POPPED. I SHUT DOWN THE AVIONICS, PITOT HEAT, LIGHTS, ETC AND ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE BREAKER. WHEN I BROUGHT THE ALTERNATOR BACK ON LINE EVERYTHING WENT BLACK AND I SMELLED SOMETHING HOT. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS REACHING FOR THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH I KNOCKED MY FLASHLIGHT ONTO THE FLOOR AND ENDED UP IN A PITCH BLACK COCKPIT. THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST URGENT PORTION OF THE EMER. I STARTED TO PANIC AND WAS REACHING ON THE FLOOR WHILE STILL HOLDING ONTO THE YOKE. I CALMED MYSELF DOWN AND LET GO OF THE YOKE KNOWING I HAD A SLIGHT FUEL IMBAL. I EXPECTED TO GO INTO A L TURN AND HOPED THAT I WOULD NOT DEVELOPED INTO A SPIRAL. I TRIED TO SEE THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON, BUT EVEN 4 INCHES FROM THE PANEL I COULDN'T MAKE IT OUT VERY WELL. FINALLY I MANAGED TO FIND THE FLASHLIGHT UNDER THE RUDDER PEDALS. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW LONG I WAS IN THE DARK, I'M SURE IT WAS ONLY A MIN OR SO BUT IT SEEMED MUCH LONGER. AFTER I LOCATED THE FLASHLIGHT, I FELT BACK IN CTL AND ABLE TO CONSIDER MY OPTIONS. I STARTED A CLB TO SEE IF I COULD GET ON TOP AND AT LEAST THINK MY OPTIONS OVER. AT THE SAME TIME I STARTED EVALUATING THE FAILURE. I ASSUMED THE ALTERNATOR WAS OPERATIONAL WHEN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED. I ALSO ASSUMED I HAD BEEN RUNNING THE BATTERY DOWN FOR AT LEAST 10 MINS PRIOR TO SEEING THE DISCHARGE ON THE AMMETER. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESET AND BRING THE ALTERNATOR BACK ON LINE, I ASSUMED A DIODE IN THE ALTERNATOR MUST HAVE SHORTED OUT PUTTING A VERY HVY DISCHARGE ON THE SYS. TURNING THE MASTER SWITCH BACK ON CAUSED A FULL SCALE DEFLECTION OF THE AMMETER. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BUT I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER TO TRIP IF I COULD LEAVE IT ON LONG ENOUGH. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE BREAKER TRIPPED LEAVING ME WITH AT LEAST SOME AMOUNT OF BATTERY IN RESERVE. I TURNED ON 1 COMS RADIO AND CALLED APCH. I TOLD HIM OF MY SIT AND DECLARED AN EMER. THE CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL. HE ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO LAND, I DECIDED THAT WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION SO I SAID YES. HE GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND VECTORS TO JFK. I BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 3500 FT MSL AND WAS HANDED OVER TO THE TWR. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HAVING TO HAND PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. THIS WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC EMER MAINLY DUE TO THE COMPLETE LOSS OF LIGHTING AT NIGHT IN SOLID IMC. IN THE FUTURE, I PLAN TO ATTACH A STRING TO A SMALL PENLIGHT FLASHLIGHT AND ATTACH IT WITH VELCRO TO A SIDE PANEL SO IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IF I EVER ENCOUNTER A SIT LIKE THIS AGAIN. I ALSO PLAN TO CHANGE THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER TO THE TYPE THAT CAN BE PULLED MANUALLY. I HAVE NOT HAD MY MECH EXAMINE THE ELECTRICAL SYS AT THIS POINT, SO I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT REASON FOR THE FAILURE, JUST MY ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON THE SYMPTOMS I HAVE RPTED HERE.

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.