Narrative:

I took off from jacksonville craig airport with an operable altimeter which checked out ok on the runup. After 1/3 of the way en route the ammeter showed a discharge. I went to the checklist, recycled the master and checked the circuit breakers. The alternator didn't come back on-line and the battery continued to discharge. I notified center that I had an electrical problem and continued towards tampa which was VFR. I reduced electrical load to preserve the battery. In the meantime, I didn't have enough power to transmit and lost communications. I shut off the radio and master switch. When I was in range I set up the #1 navigation for an ILS approach and tried to monitor the approach frequency, when everything electrical faded away. I could not see tampa because of the thin scattered layer over the airport. I was now VFR but above the cloud deck. I could see st petersberg which is tampa's neighboring airport and turned towards it. I really wanted to get into tampa so I turned back toward it and had no luck. So I decided to go into st petersburg, circled the tower, received the green light gun signal and pumped the gear down, and did a no flap landing. There are a few things that I would like to point out that I would have done differently and feel would help prevent the problem. 1ST of all, I would have turned back to my departure airport earlier. 2ND, once I confirmed that I couldn't see tampa, I should have landed at the first sight of st petersburg instead of trying to locate tampa with nightfall coming on. Also every PF single engine IFR should have a hand held transceiver with them. Lastly, there should be some type of regular overhaul scheduled for an alternator, or only a certain number of yrs an alternator can be used before it is removed from service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LOSES ELECTRICAL PWR IN MIXED CLOUDS AND PLT DIVERTS TO VFR ARPT. ENRTE TO ALTERNATE, PLT DECIDES TO RETRY ORIGINAL DEST, HAS TO DIVERT SECOND TIME.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM JACKSONVILLE CRAIG ARPT WITH AN OPERABLE ALTIMETER WHICH CHKED OUT OK ON THE RUNUP. AFTER 1/3 OF THE WAY ENRTE THE AMMETER SHOWED A DISCHARGE. I WENT TO THE CHKLIST, RECYCLED THE MASTER AND CHKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE ALTERNATOR DIDN'T COME BACK ON-LINE AND THE BATTERY CONTINUED TO DISCHARGE. I NOTIFIED CTR THAT I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROB AND CONTINUED TOWARDS TAMPA WHICH WAS VFR. I REDUCED ELECTRICAL LOAD TO PRESERVE THE BATTERY. IN THE MEANTIME, I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PWR TO XMIT AND LOST COMS. I SHUT OFF THE RADIO AND MASTER SWITCH. WHEN I WAS IN RANGE I SET UP THE #1 NAV FOR AN ILS APCH AND TRIED TO MONITOR THE APCH FREQ, WHEN EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL FADED AWAY. I COULD NOT SEE TAMPA BECAUSE OF THE THIN SCATTERED LAYER OVER THE ARPT. I WAS NOW VFR BUT ABOVE THE CLOUD DECK. I COULD SEE ST PETERSBERG WHICH IS TAMPA'S NEIGHBORING ARPT AND TURNED TOWARDS IT. I REALLY WANTED TO GET INTO TAMPA SO I TURNED BACK TOWARD IT AND HAD NO LUCK. SO I DECIDED TO GO INTO ST PETERSBURG, CIRCLED THE TWR, RECEIVED THE GREEN LIGHT GUN SIGNAL AND PUMPED THE GEAR DOWN, AND DID A NO FLAP LNDG. THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY AND FEEL WOULD HELP PREVENT THE PROB. 1ST OF ALL, I WOULD HAVE TURNED BACK TO MY DEP ARPT EARLIER. 2ND, ONCE I CONFIRMED THAT I COULDN'T SEE TAMPA, I SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT THE FIRST SIGHT OF ST PETERSBURG INSTEAD OF TRYING TO LOCATE TAMPA WITH NIGHTFALL COMING ON. ALSO EVERY PF SINGLE ENG IFR SHOULD HAVE A HAND HELD TRANSCEIVER WITH THEM. LASTLY, THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF REGULAR OVERHAUL SCHEDULED FOR AN ALTERNATOR, OR ONLY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YRS AN ALTERNATOR CAN BE USED BEFORE IT IS REMOVED FROM SVC.

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.