Narrative:

I was flying an IFR flight to arb in a C210C. ZID had just transferred me to toledo approach. It was IFR conditions at 6000 ft MSL. About 2 mins later toledo approach advised me they had lost my transponder signal and about the same time, I noticed the low voltage light on the panel come on and I also observed a discharge indication on the amp meter. I immediately advised toledo of this condition and told them I wanted to return to dayton. She (toledo approach) cleared me to return and as I started my turn I lost all electrical power which resulted in loss of instruments and all my radios. I flew the reciprocal of my en route heading and noting the time already flown. It was still IFR conditions. After about 5 mins at 6000 ft MSL, I could then start to see the ground below me. I then started to descend to get into VFR conditions and was able to do this about 3000 ft MSL. There were still snow squalls that made visibility difficult. I flew to the city of bellefontaine, oh. I was able to identify from the water tower making several passes around this area looking for an airport. It was very difficult due to the fresh snowfall and snow squalls. I made the decision at that time to go by dead reckoning to dayton airport. After about 5 mins I had the airport in sight. As I approached dayton airport, there was no traffic in sight and none was moving on the ground. I looked to see the signal light from the tower but did not see it. I realized later I was looking at an air freight tower, it is larger and more distinct then dayton control tower. As I started my final for runway 18, I realized the power loss would not allow the operation of my landing gear so I aborted the landing so I would have time to hand crank the gear down. I turned to line up for runway 24L while manually cranking down the gear. I then completed a safe landing. The alternator had malfunctioned (open field -- no charge) causing operation from battery power until it drained battery to dead short. It was a difficult situation being in IFR conditions and losing all communications and navigation equipment. Having to abort my flight and then turning back into rapidly deteriorating VFR conditions with snow squalls plus fresh snow fall made it impossible to identify and locate an airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A FLT IN IMC, A C210C PLT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. THE PLT WAS CLRED TO RETURN TO DAYTON AFTER THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB, BUT WAS UNABLE TO HAVE FURTHER COM AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. EMER. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN IFR FLT TO ARB IN A C210C. ZID HAD JUST TRANSFERRED ME TO TOLEDO APCH. IT WAS IFR CONDITIONS AT 6000 FT MSL. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER TOLEDO APCH ADVISED ME THEY HAD LOST MY XPONDER SIGNAL AND ABOUT THE SAME TIME, I NOTICED THE LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT ON THE PANEL COME ON AND I ALSO OBSERVED A DISCHARGE INDICATION ON THE AMP METER. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED TOLEDO OF THIS CONDITION AND TOLD THEM I WANTED TO RETURN TO DAYTON. SHE (TOLEDO APCH) CLRED ME TO RETURN AND AS I STARTED MY TURN I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF INSTS AND ALL MY RADIOS. I FLEW THE RECIPROCAL OF MY ENRTE HEADING AND NOTING THE TIME ALREADY FLOWN. IT WAS STILL IFR CONDITIONS. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS AT 6000 FT MSL, I COULD THEN START TO SEE THE GND BELOW ME. I THEN STARTED TO DSND TO GET INTO VFR CONDITIONS AND WAS ABLE TO DO THIS ABOUT 3000 FT MSL. THERE WERE STILL SNOW SQUALLS THAT MADE VISIBILITY DIFFICULT. I FLEW TO THE CITY OF BELLEFONTAINE, OH. I WAS ABLE TO IDENT FROM THE WATER TWR MAKING SEVERAL PASSES AROUND THIS AREA LOOKING FOR AN ARPT. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT DUE TO THE FRESH SNOWFALL AND SNOW SQUALLS. I MADE THE DECISION AT THAT TIME TO GO BY DEAD RECKONING TO DAYTON ARPT. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AS I APCHED DAYTON ARPT, THERE WAS NO TFC IN SIGHT AND NONE WAS MOVING ON THE GND. I LOOKED TO SEE THE SIGNAL LIGHT FROM THE TWR BUT DID NOT SEE IT. I REALIZED LATER I WAS LOOKING AT AN AIR FREIGHT TWR, IT IS LARGER AND MORE DISTINCT THEN DAYTON CTL TWR. AS I STARTED MY FINAL FOR RWY 18, I REALIZED THE PWR LOSS WOULD NOT ALLOW THE OP OF MY LNDG GEAR SO I ABORTED THE LNDG SO I WOULD HAVE TIME TO HAND CRANK THE GEAR DOWN. I TURNED TO LINE UP FOR RWY 24L WHILE MANUALLY CRANKING DOWN THE GEAR. I THEN COMPLETED A SAFE LNDG. THE ALTERNATOR HAD MALFUNCTIONED (OPEN FIELD -- NO CHARGE) CAUSING OP FROM BATTERY PWR UNTIL IT DRAINED BATTERY TO DEAD SHORT. IT WAS A DIFFICULT SIT BEING IN IFR CONDITIONS AND LOSING ALL COMS AND NAV EQUIP. HAVING TO ABORT MY FLT AND THEN TURNING BACK INTO RAPIDLY DETERIORATING VFR CONDITIONS WITH SNOW SQUALLS PLUS FRESH SNOW FALL MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENT AND LOCATE AN ARPT.

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.