Narrative:

The WX conditions had decreased. Gnv was still reporting VFR, however, tpa was 2 1/2 mi visibility. Similar conditions were reported to the east along the coast. I decided to retrace our flight back toward lakeland then labelle and the tmb. My thoughts were to land if the WX continued to deteriorate. Approximately 30 NM north of lakeland I radioed center on 122.2. I asked for a WX briefing from lakeland to key west. The briefing indicated IFR conditions. After completing my conversation with center, I was considering asking for flight following. Within this approximately 2 to 5 min time frame, I heard a crackle on the radio speaker. The owner had indicated the speaker was just repaired and, therefore, I thought this was the problem. After turning my attention back to the panel, all of the electronics went off. I instructed my wife to open the plane manual to emergency electrical procedures. Also, I asked her to retrieve her handheld cellular phone and my electronic organizer. While this was going on, I checked the fuses and found no problem. I called the plane's owner on the cellular for assistance. He first suggested the fuses. My next scan was to the master and then to the alternator field. The alternator field was not on. I immediately pushed it on, which activated the electronics. The plane's owner suggested turning off all electronics except for the GPS in order to recharge the battery. He said he would call center and inform them of my heading and situation. I reported to him I was on a 157 indication to tmb. I do not recall the distance. Having recovered from the loss of electrical power, I found myself in IMC. I was in clouds for approximately 2 to 5 mins. While in clouds I was able to maintain the plane relatively straight and level after an initial turn to the east. However, finding myself in IMC was stressful. As soon as I was able to see the ground below as a reference, I decided to land the plane at the closest airport. The GPS has an emergency airport locator which indicates the 10 closest airports. The first locator was avo. I do not remember the location, only that it was either west and/or north of me. I checked the second indication, which was sef. This airport was 172 degrees and about 7 to 10 NM. I do not remember the exact distance. I kept my eyes on the attitude indicator and panel and my wife called out the heading and distance to sef. I descended to about 500 ft within 3 mi of sef. When the GPS indicated we were at the airport, the airport was visible from the passenger side. I circled the airport over 2 runways, which were closed. I then overflew the threshold of runway 14. Next, I proceeded on a left downwind for 14. This was an extended downwind to bleed off airspeed. I landed on runway 14 without incident and taxied to the FBO. I was obviously distracted by the WX conditions while doing my preflight in gnv. A review of the checklist indicated the 'alternator on' step to be inset and not in the same checklist format as the other steps. However, I have flown this plane and a similar small aircraft with the same alternator field button. This leads me to conclude that reason above is the predominant problem. I attribute the lack of a 'plan' to be part of the problem. Since I did not set a specific airport for my destination, I was not focused on an ending point. This would not be a problem in VFR conditions. It was a problem in marginal VFR conditions which deteriorated. The aforementioned problems are considered to be the major contributors to the incident. My corrective action is: become more familiar with each plane I fly. Focus on the preflight and flying the plane. Understand that, if I am concerned with WX conditions, then I should not be flying until the WX clears. I have made a copy of the checklist for myself. In addition, I have added a specific check in 3 locations for the alternator to be on. I will always have a firm plan and destination. This can be altered in flight, however, it will allow me to be focused on a destination. In addition, although I have attended emergency seminars, I will review emergency procedures on a more regular basis. This will enable a quicker response, which might have kept me out of IMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC FAILURE, ENTERS IMC, DIVERT LAND.

Narrative: THE WX CONDITIONS HAD DECREASED. GNV WAS STILL RPTING VFR, HOWEVER, TPA WAS 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. SIMILAR CONDITIONS WERE RPTED TO THE E ALONG THE COAST. I DECIDED TO RETRACE OUR FLT BACK TOWARD LAKELAND THEN LABELLE AND THE TMB. MY THOUGHTS WERE TO LAND IF THE WX CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE. APPROX 30 NM N OF LAKELAND I RADIOED CTR ON 122.2. I ASKED FOR A WX BRIEFING FROM LAKELAND TO KEY WEST. THE BRIEFING INDICATED IFR CONDITIONS. AFTER COMPLETING MY CONVERSATION WITH CTR, I WAS CONSIDERING ASKING FOR FLT FOLLOWING. WITHIN THIS APPROX 2 TO 5 MIN TIME FRAME, I HEARD A CRACKLE ON THE RADIO SPEAKER. THE OWNER HAD INDICATED THE SPEAKER WAS JUST REPAIRED AND, THEREFORE, I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE PROB. AFTER TURNING MY ATTN BACK TO THE PANEL, ALL OF THE ELECTRONICS WENT OFF. I INSTRUCTED MY WIFE TO OPEN THE PLANE MANUAL TO EMER ELECTRICAL PROCS. ALSO, I ASKED HER TO RETRIEVE HER HANDHELD CELLULAR PHONE AND MY ELECTRONIC ORGANIZER. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, I CHKED THE FUSES AND FOUND NO PROB. I CALLED THE PLANE'S OWNER ON THE CELLULAR FOR ASSISTANCE. HE FIRST SUGGESTED THE FUSES. MY NEXT SCAN WAS TO THE MASTER AND THEN TO THE ALTERNATOR FIELD. THE ALTERNATOR FIELD WAS NOT ON. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED IT ON, WHICH ACTIVATED THE ELECTRONICS. THE PLANE'S OWNER SUGGESTED TURNING OFF ALL ELECTRONICS EXCEPT FOR THE GPS IN ORDER TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL CTR AND INFORM THEM OF MY HDG AND SIT. I RPTED TO HIM I WAS ON A 157 INDICATION TO TMB. I DO NOT RECALL THE DISTANCE. HAVING RECOVERED FROM THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR, I FOUND MYSELF IN IMC. I WAS IN CLOUDS FOR APPROX 2 TO 5 MINS. WHILE IN CLOUDS I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE PLANE RELATIVELY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AFTER AN INITIAL TURN TO THE E. HOWEVER, FINDING MYSELF IN IMC WAS STRESSFUL. AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE GND BELOW AS A REF, I DECIDED TO LAND THE PLANE AT THE CLOSEST ARPT. THE GPS HAS AN EMER ARPT LOCATOR WHICH INDICATES THE 10 CLOSEST ARPTS. THE FIRST LOCATOR WAS AVO. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE LOCATION, ONLY THAT IT WAS EITHER W AND/OR N OF ME. I CHKED THE SECOND INDICATION, WHICH WAS SEF. THIS ARPT WAS 172 DEGS AND ABOUT 7 TO 10 NM. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT DISTANCE. I KEPT MY EYES ON THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND PANEL AND MY WIFE CALLED OUT THE HDG AND DISTANCE TO SEF. I DSNDED TO ABOUT 500 FT WITHIN 3 MI OF SEF. WHEN THE GPS INDICATED WE WERE AT THE ARPT, THE ARPT WAS VISIBLE FROM THE PAX SIDE. I CIRCLED THE ARPT OVER 2 RWYS, WHICH WERE CLOSED. I THEN OVERFLEW THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 14. NEXT, I PROCEEDED ON A L DOWNWIND FOR 14. THIS WAS AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO BLEED OFF AIRSPD. I LANDED ON RWY 14 WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO THE FBO. I WAS OBVIOUSLY DISTRACTED BY THE WX CONDITIONS WHILE DOING MY PREFLT IN GNV. A REVIEW OF THE CHKLIST INDICATED THE 'ALTERNATOR ON' STEP TO BE INSET AND NOT IN THE SAME CHKLIST FORMAT AS THE OTHER STEPS. HOWEVER, I HAVE FLOWN THIS PLANE AND A SIMILAR SMA WITH THE SAME ALTERNATOR FIELD BUTTON. THIS LEADS ME TO CONCLUDE THAT REASON ABOVE IS THE PREDOMINANT PROB. I ATTRIBUTE THE LACK OF A 'PLAN' TO BE PART OF THE PROB. SINCE I DID NOT SET A SPECIFIC ARPT FOR MY DEST, I WAS NOT FOCUSED ON AN ENDING POINT. THIS WOULD NOT BE A PROB IN VFR CONDITIONS. IT WAS A PROB IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS WHICH DETERIORATED. THE AFOREMENTIONED PROBS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE INCIDENT. MY CORRECTIVE ACTION IS: BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH EACH PLANE I FLY. FOCUS ON THE PREFLT AND FLYING THE PLANE. UNDERSTAND THAT, IF I AM CONCERNED WITH WX CONDITIONS, THEN I SHOULD NOT BE FLYING UNTIL THE WX CLRS. I HAVE MADE A COPY OF THE CHKLIST FOR MYSELF. IN ADDITION, I HAVE ADDED A SPECIFIC CHK IN 3 LOCATIONS FOR THE ALTERNATOR TO BE ON. I WILL ALWAYS HAVE A FIRM PLAN AND DEST. THIS CAN BE ALTERED IN FLT, HOWEVER, IT WILL ALLOW ME TO BE FOCUSED ON A DEST. IN ADDITION, ALTHOUGH I HAVE ATTENDED EMER SEMINARS, I WILL REVIEW EMER PROCS ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS. THIS WILL ENABLE A QUICKER RESPONSE, WHICH MIGHT HAVE KEPT ME OUT OF IMC.

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.